Fine on Autobahn

[marcusjames]

A friend recently received a fine from a trip to Germany. The fine wasn’t for speeding (160kph on autobahn), but for driving too close to the car in front (25 metres). The requirement is half your speed i.e. 80 metres at 160 kph. He “negotiated” the fine down to Euro 200 by pleading ignorance.

Just a heads-up.

[PaulHogan]

Interesting... Noted. But a previous embedded thought is 'only a fool breaks the two second rule' and this always applies - for me - at 70mph and over.

[Shmee]

Interesting, I wonder how they measure it... And whether you still get fined if somebody pulls out in front of you!

[MDahmen]

I believe they have cameras, usually positioned just before/next to bridges crossing the highway.

[Shmee]

MDahmen said:

I believe they have cameras, usually positioned just before/next to bridges crossing the highway.

Oh is that what those cameras are!! I had wondered every time I've driven through Germany, but nobody has ever been able to tell me!

[Pork]

I think that should be employed here too. It might start to make driving standards a bit better. An awful lot of drivers seem to be ignorant when it comes to physics.

[traxx]

Do you legally have to pay the fine?

[ChrisFitz]

MDahmen said:

I believe they have cameras, usually positioned just before/next to bridges crossing the highway.

least this way it would actually then penalise drivers for driving potentially badly rather than just the speeding cash cow.

[Pork]

ChrisFitz said:

MDahmen said:

I believe they have cameras, usually positioned just before/next to bridges crossing the highway.

least this way it would actually then penalise drivers for driving potentially badly rather than just the speeding cash cow.

Completely. I think most poeple could stomach that, more so if the distances were altered according to road conditions.

[cptsideways]

You see the white lines just below every bridge & gantry, they'll place cameras on them & snap away.

Much better & fairer system than the UK, if you drive fast & safe thats fine, if you drive fast & like an ass you get whats coming.

[ade/lou]

cptsideways said:

Much better & fairer system than the UK, if you drive fast & safe thats fine, if you drive fast & like an ass you get whats coming.

Here here

[14-7]

How can someone support the idea of a camera that monitors distance between vehicles and dishes out fines but not one that enforces speed limits?

[Knock_knock]

traxx said:

Do you legally have to pay the fine?

I believe Germany requires payment of fines on-the-spot or they can seize your vehicle.


KK

[14-7]

Knock_knock said:

traxx said:

Do you legally have to pay the fine?

I believe Germany requires payment of fines on-the-spot or they can seize your vehicle.


KK

Ooooo, that would go down well over here . After all the Germans lead the way, what with derestricted sections of autobahn and all it is like a drivers paradise over there!

[jammy_basturd]

14-7 said:

How can someone support the idea of a camera that monitors distance between vehicles and dishes out fines but not one that enforces speed limits?

Have you not wrote that the wrong way around?

[EU_Foreigner]

Only problem with keeping a large distance is that you will get other cars / trucks sneak in the "hole" so to speak.

[Hackney]

marcusjames said:

Fine on Autobahn

A common mistake, the word is actually, fahr'n, thus:

Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der Autobahn

Danke.

[Mr Gearchange]

PaulHogan said:

Interesting... Noted. But a previous embedded thought is 'only a fool breaks the two second rule' and this always applies - for me - at 70mph and over.

What? If you think it only applies at 70mph and over then you have fundementally misunderstood the 2 second rule.

[Shmee]

Mr Gearchange said:

PaulHogan said:

Interesting... Noted. But a previous embedded thought is 'only a fool breaks the two second rule' and this always applies - for me - at 70mph and over.

What? If you think it only applies at 70mph and over then you have fundementally misunderstood the 2 second rule.

Think he meant it more like "whether 70mph or faster", which didn't rule out the same rule below 70mph just emphasised that it covered upwards from there.

[Pork]

14-7 said:

How can someone support the idea of a camera that monitors distance between vehicles and dishes out fines but not one that enforces speed limits?

I'd support both whole heartedly if they are administered correctly. If not, they dont get the 'buy in' from the public and will forever be labelled as 'cash cows' or similar.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is you can drive like a dick at 60mph on a NSL motorway but at present you're not seen to be breaking the law. If the distance cameras take no account of speed, so say a distance of less than 30 metres, regardless of speed/road conditions, then I would say that people wouldnt have much confidence in them.

All just my opinion.