Suspended in France...
Discussion
Clear dry Sunday morning with a friend in northern France. Carefully following satnav thru a town as didn’t know the route. Came off a roundabout down a connecting straight and was driving like Miss Daisy when gendarmes pulled me over. His friend in the middle had clocked me at 80kph in a 50kph and fined me €90 on the spot. I was incensed as I was nurdeling at no more than 30mph/50kph. I asked for proof and was told “I am proof, I am the police “. I asked for a receipt and was told they didn’t have any that day. Taxed for driving on English plates in France?!?!?
leyorkie said:
Have you seen the post regarding the current service from DVLA?
Your ban will be over by the time you get a response
The French (apart from being a bunch of c**ts of the highest order) are notoriously slow and incompetent with things like this. Your ban will be over by the time you get a response
The DVLA as far as I am concerned couldn’t get laid in a w
e house with a fist full of money. Both are truest awful and highly incompetent o deal with. I’m amazed they know what day of the week it is most of the time. Let alone linking up someone with a ban in 1 country with a license from another.
It’s about time we in the U.K. started treating international drivers in the U.K. the same as the French treat everybody. No more of this nicely nicely approach. Massive ‘deposit’ before you go anywhere. No you can’t drive your own car anywhere from the moment your stopped. Find someone who pse to come and move it. Sorry can’t pay. Can’t find an alternative driver. Hold on we’re taking your vehicle off you and charging you a fortune for the privilege of doing so.
Oh and don’t get it back until you have coughed up the ‘deposit’.
Also can you use an international driving permit in France instead of your licence. I used the IDP in Oman and got stopped. They didn’t care one jot about my UK licence. Took the permit. Still had my license back on base. IDP was about £15 at the time and paid for by work.
Edited by MB140 on Friday 10th July 17:47
MB140 said:
It’s about time we in the U.K. started treating international drivers in the U.K. the same as the French treat everybody...
Sorry if it shatters your illusions, but UK police have the ability to apply on-the-spot fines to foreign drivers, and have had for a few years now...sunbeam alpine said:
Sorry if it shatters your illusions, but UK police have the ability to apply on-the-spot fines to foreign drivers, and have had for a few years now...
But do they, I very much doubt it as I can’t remember the last time I saw a traffic cop, it’s all just average or fixed cameras here or camera vans ie no personal interaction it’s just all automatic and completely ignored by foreign drivers as far as I see it. Also are they at the same sort of level the French seem to impose. If your telling me UK police slap most foreign speeders with a £750 deposit, March them to an ATM if they don’t have the funds . Take there licence off them and impound there cars then fine. Somehow I can’t see/don’t believe our police are doing that. In effect they just f
k off and file any fine under the B1N section. MB140 said:
sunbeam alpine said:
Sorry if it shatters your illusions, but UK police have the ability to apply on-the-spot fines to foreign drivers, and have had for a few years now...
But do they, I very much doubt it as I can’t remember the last time I saw a traffic cop, it’s all just average or fixed cameras here or camera vans ie no personal interaction it’s just all automatic and completely ignored by foreign drivers as far as I see it. Also are they at the same sort of level the French seem to impose. If your telling me UK police slap most foreign speeders with a £750 deposit, March them to an ATM if they don’t have the funds . Take there licence off them and impound there cars then fine. Somehow I can’t see/don’t believe our police are doing that. In effect they just f
k off and file any fine under the B1N section. The fact that UK police forces have opted for policing by camera means that there is indeed a relatively small risk of a foreign-registered vehicle being caught.
Edited by sunbeam alpine on Friday 10th July 21:29
The Police in UK have a reciprocal arrangement with camera fines. They can apply to the French for the French Drivers details and issue a fine by post that is recorded, so if unpaid can be flagged at a future border check. - If you have changed cars I'm not sure if your passport details are checked.
A French business colleague was fined this way on a red light camera misdemeanor in Kingston. Luckily no accident involved.
I had a French camera fine last year 70 in a 60 zone near Le Havre. The fine arrived at my UK address within 4 weeks. I paid my Euro40 as I still go to France and have the same car.
I suggest trying WAZE as it is a live system. Drivers add cameras, Police etc in real time, also speed limits are notified by a alarm if you exceed them. I was recommended this by French friends.
A French business colleague was fined this way on a red light camera misdemeanor in Kingston. Luckily no accident involved.
I had a French camera fine last year 70 in a 60 zone near Le Havre. The fine arrived at my UK address within 4 weeks. I paid my Euro40 as I still go to France and have the same car.
I suggest trying WAZE as it is a live system. Drivers add cameras, Police etc in real time, also speed limits are notified by a alarm if you exceed them. I was recommended this by French friends.
To be honest, my 90 EUR fine seems pretty 'reasonable' for the speed I was allegedly doing. I couldn't be bothered to argue so just coughed up (online) and then set about trying to get my licence back. Could be the case that once it's reviewed by the judge it could go up?
As for my licence, after 5 emails or so to the prefecture telling them I'm not a resident of France, they actually did respond (with heavy criticism of my 'aggressive', let's say, tone) and after giving them proof, they responded saying they've posted it back to the UK... only time will tell if it ever comes...
As for my licence, after 5 emails or so to the prefecture telling them I'm not a resident of France, they actually did respond (with heavy criticism of my 'aggressive', let's say, tone) and after giving them proof, they responded saying they've posted it back to the UK... only time will tell if it ever comes...
sungsam said:
I suggest trying WAZE as it is a live system. Drivers add cameras, Police etc in real time, also speed limits are notified by a alarm if you exceed them. I was recommended this by French friends.
Does using Waze in France include camera location alerts? I had been led to believe it is illegal in France to use such a device, though I realise a phone is not a dedicated device for that purpose. Is it legal when it’s used as such?markyb_lcy said:
Does using Waze in France include camera location alerts? I had been led to believe it is illegal in France to use such a device, though I realise a phone is not a dedicated device for that purpose. Is it legal when it’s used as such?
Believe it's counted as illegal. I'm pretty sure cameras are often reported as "police", at least when I used itQBee said:
The car gets impounded UNLESS you can cough up the €750 there and then.
They will take you to a cash machine, but you will need three cards, as there is a €300 a day limit in France on cash withdrawals.
Do they not have the ability to take an over the phone card payment? Seems bonkers. They will take you to a cash machine, but you will need three cards, as there is a €300 a day limit in France on cash withdrawals.
dhutch said:
QBee said:
The car gets impounded UNLESS you can cough up the €750 there and then.
They will take you to a cash machine, but you will need three cards, as there is a €300 a day limit in France on cash withdrawals.
Do they not have the ability to take an over the phone card payment? Seems bonkers. They will take you to a cash machine, but you will need three cards, as there is a €300 a day limit in France on cash withdrawals.
I do believe him, as he is a pedant for accuracy.
zzrman said:
I got 4 tickets for speeding on a trip from Andorra to Caen in December 18, which arrived in January 19 at the UK address to which the car was registered. They were filed in the round filing cabinet next to the desk. Reminders threatening increased amounts payable if I didn't cough up came around April/May 19. These were filed in the same filing cabinet.
No more was heard.
No more yet.No more was heard.
You better hope you don’t get pulled in France again.
aakashb7 said:
markyb_lcy said:
Does using Waze in France include camera location alerts? I had been led to believe it is illegal in France to use such a device, though I realise a phone is not a dedicated device for that purpose. Is it legal when it’s used as such?
Believe it's counted as illegal. I'm pretty sure cameras are often reported as "police", at least when I used itWaze is part of Google. Its not illegal in France.
Edited by sungsam on Saturday 11th July 21:31
andygo said:
Maybe best to get a 'spare' new licence before going to France..
This.Apply for a replacement license now, claiming original to be lost.
Take original on holiday. Keep new one in UK.
They both have the same details on them, possibly a different serial number that they'll never check abroad.
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