Overseas visitor speeding

[Conrod Straight]

I'm sure this will happen so I'm just getting ahead of myself:

I live in Australia and will be in the UK next week for a couple of weeks. I fully expect to cop an infringement at some point as you have a few more cameras than where I'm from (6 in the whole state). I'll be in a hire car.

What happens if I get caught by camera or a police officer? Do the points end up on my Australian driving licence? Do I have to pay the fine?
Obviously I don't have diplomatic immunity....but how does it all work?

Cheers

[PorkInsider]

Conrod Straight said:

I'm sure this will happen so I'm just getting ahead of myself:

I live in Australia and will be in the UK next week for a couple of weeks. I fully expect to cop an infringement at some point as you have a few more cameras than where I'm from (6 in the whole state). I'll be in a hire car.

What happens if I get caught by camera or a police officer? Do the points end up on my Australian driving licence? Do I have to pay the fine?
Obviously I don't have diplomatic immunity....but how does it all work?

Cheers

Most of us manage at least a number years between speeding tickets. Many have never had one at all, or have kept a clean licence for decades.

If you don’t think you could be observant enough to avoid being snapped by a camera within 2 weeks of arriving here then please don’t drive in the U.K.

(Or perhaps you’re massively overestimating the number of cameras and how difficult they are to spot.)

[Conrod Straight]

PorkInsider said:

Most of us manage at least a number years between speeding tickets. Many have never had one at all, or have kept a clean licence for decades.

If you don’t think you could be observant enough to avoid being snapped by a camera within 2 weeks of arriving here then please don’t drive in the U.K.

(Or perhaps you’re massively overestimating the number of cameras and how difficult they are to spot.)

I may well be overestimating the number of cameras, and I have no idea of the tolerance given either - in Victoria you can get pinged for 1km/h over the limit.

Still curious as to what happens with the infringement.

[douglasb]

The UK authorities don't have the power to put points on to your Australian licence (and vice versa). What would happen is that they would create a "dummy" UK licence for you and put points on that. For speeding, it is unlikely that this would have any impact however if you got caught drink driving (which carries a mandatory ban of at least 12 months) and you intend coming back to the UK within a year then you won't be driving on your next trip.

You will be liable for any fines that may be imposed. How hard they will chase fines is a different matter.

[dacouch]

douglasb said:

The UK authorities don't have the power to put points on to your Australian licence (and vice versa). What would happen is that they would create a "dummy" UK licence for you and put points on that. For speeding, it is unlikely that this would have any impact however if you got caught drink driving (which carries a mandatory ban of at least 12 months) and you intend coming back to the UK within a year then you won't be driving on your next trip.

You will be liable for any fines that may be imposed. How hard they will chase fines is a different matter.

and if the Traffic Cop feels there is a chance you will abscond or they cannot establish your identity, they can take you to the police station for an overnight stay until the courts open in the morning

[wwpaddler]

If you're caught speeding the hire car company will likely charge you an admin fee for processing the paperwork it generates for them. As they have your credit card details don't be surprised if the admin fee appears on your CC bill in a month or 2's time.

[TVRnutcase]

PorkInsider said:

Conrod Straight said:

I'm sure this will happen so I'm just getting ahead of myself:

I live in Australia and will be in the UK next week for a couple of weeks. I fully expect to cop an infringement at some point as you have a few more cameras than where I'm from (6 in the whole state). I'll be in a hire car.

What happens if I get caught by camera or a police officer? Do the points end up on my Australian driving licence? Do I have to pay the fine?
Obviously I don't have diplomatic immunity....but how does it all work?

Cheers

Most of us manage at least a number years between speeding tickets. Many have never had one at all, or have kept a clean licence for decades.

If you don’t think you could be observant enough to avoid being snapped by a camera within 2 weeks of arriving here then please don’t drive in the U.K.

(Or perhaps you’re massively overestimating the number of cameras and how difficult they are to spot.)

FFS - No need for that comment......

Coming from further downunder - I was over in 2016 - drove like an absolute fking saint - truly - still got a ticket!!

Where I got caught was on a camera on a road of constantly changing speed limits - and - yep - I had missed one speed change sign. You are busy keeping an eye on other drivers, the road and every other hazard.

But - Christ - the limit goes 40, 30 and back to 40 - yes - I had one for 40 in a short stretch of a 30 - the constantky changing limits is what will catch you out - once you are there for a while - you get used to it.

Short answer is - Europcar answered the NIP - then sent me the copy of the NIP with the charge on my cc fro 30/35UKP.

No further action from the constabulary concerned - if they had sent the invoice - yep - I would have just paid it - only 100.

[Halmyre]

Conrod Straight said:

I'm sure this will happen so I'm just getting ahead of myself:

I live in Australia and will be in the UK next week for a couple of weeks. I fully expect to cop an infringement at some point as you have a few more cameras than where I'm from (6 in the whole state). I'll be in a hire car.

What happens if I get caught by camera or a police officer? Do the points end up on my Australian driving licence? Do I have to pay the fine?
Obviously I don't have diplomatic immunity....but how does it all work?

Cheers

You deserve everything you get in revenge for 'Neighbours'.

[Lazermilk]

Just use an app like Waze so you know where they are and can slow for them

[MarcelM6]

Lazermilk said:

Just use an app like Waze so you know where they are and can slow for them

Agree, if you're not on ios try the TomTom speed camera app.

[Vaud]

OP, use an app (there are some offline ones as well if you want to control your data use). Drive defensively.
Fixed cameras are pretty visible. Average speed cameras are increasing in use, especially in roadworks.

Use cruise control, drive defensively and normally 1 or 2 mph over and you will be ok.

75 on a motorway is unlikely to get you stopped (outside chance of a mobile camera on a bridge).

Please bring some sunshine with you, we used all of ours up this summer

[Pachydermus]

Conrod Straight said:

I fully expect to cop an infringement at some point as you have a few more cameras than where I'm from (6 in the whole state).

This is clearly a wind-up. NSW has speed traps and cameras absolutely everywhere.

[blueSL]

I’ve just had a speeding ticket from Italy - 113 kph in a 90 limit and I was caught out by the fact they don’t put up reminder speed limit signs, if you miss the sign at the start, it’s anyone’s guess what the limit is if it’s different from the default.

Still, seems appropriate that my first ticket for years was in a 488 GTB...

Fine was €130 plus 3 points on a virtual licence they set up with details of your UK driving licence. You have 20 points and are banned when you run out, the length of the ban depending on how quickly you lost your points.

It’s a tight regime for Italian drivers because you only get 2 points credited each year if you’ve had two years of no points. You can go on a naughty school type training course and get 6 points back.

Edited by blueSL on Wednesday 5th September 10:44

Edited by blueSL on Wednesday 5th September 10:45

[Vaud]

Pachydermus said:

This is clearly a wind-up. NSW has speed traps and cameras absolutely everywhere.

Though to be fair his profile might be out of date.

NSW does love them:
http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/speeding/sp...

[blueSL]

But in answer to the original post, the UK regime is much more reasonable than the one in Australia where they pursue speeding with a fervour which is out of all proportion to any improvement in safety. Added to that, there are signs which say “double demerit points” on, for example, a bank holiday weekend. Owning a performance car in Australia is no fun at all, never mind the fact they cost an arm and a leg.

[Pachydermus]

Vaud said:

Though to be fair his profile might be out of date.

NSW does love them:
http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/speeding/sp...

those are just the ones they tell you about. All the police cars have mobile radar and the police can also setup anywhere (mostly where it's perfectly safe to exceed the stupidly low limits) with hand-held.

[lyonspride]

blueSL said:

Owning a performance car in Australia is no fun at all, never mind the fact they cost an arm and a leg.

My time in Stralia painted a slightly different picture, over there many vehicles are big V6s or V8s, most are petrol and almost all are automatics, they're mostly more beastly versions of cars we see in the UK, big powerful engines in normal family cars, with the exception of the Australian specific models like the Ford Falcon (at least until they close the plant and start using the Mondeo platform instead).
You see more "city cars" in the big cities, but still in far fewer numbers than the UK.

They don't really do sportscars or open tops due to the sun/heat, but their average car is like a performance car to us.

[Sheepshanks]

TVRnutcase said:

No further action from the constabulary concerned - if they had sent the invoice - yep - I would have just paid it - only 100.

They can only send fixed penalties to UK licence holders. So they'd have to Summons you.

Have you been here since? There may well be a warrant out for your arrest.

[Lazermilk]

I got caught not long ago on the way back through Hungary travelling back to Austria, they caught me just over 160 kph and I just had to pay them (via a UK collection company!) 90 euros... Pretty damn good considering what that speed would have got me in the UK!

[anonymous-user]

lyonspride said:

blueSL said:

Owning a performance car in Australia is no fun at all, never mind the fact they cost an arm and a leg.

My time in Stralia painted a slightly different picture, over there many vehicles are big V6s or V8s, most are petrol and almost all are automatics, they're mostly more beastly versions of cars we see in the UK, big powerful engines in normal family cars, with the exception of the Australian specific models like the Ford Falcon (at least until they close the plant and start using the Mondeo platform instead).
You see more "city cars" in the big cities, but still in far fewer numbers than the UK.

They don't really do sportscars or open tops due to the sun/heat, but their average car is like a performance car to us.

Plenty of very ordinary cars down under.

I’ve driven thousands of miles in several Australian states. It’s easier to stay clean here than it is there, with the often very cautious limits, and I’ve always managed it there so the OP should be fine unless he’s careless.