Speeding in the EU

[Trommel]

Just received a letter from the Italian police with a photo of my hire car doing 139 kmh in an apparently 90 kmh zone on the autostrada along with a request for Euro 352. I am a UK resident with a UK licence. I intend to ignore it - should I?

Thanks in advance.

[jayjay]

It will probably end up with the hire car company billing your credit card.

[Trommel]

Hmm... hadn't considered that, but they are not authorised to do so and have done their part by identifying the driver/hirer to the best of their ability.

[mattd]

I would check the small print in your contract its not unknown for the hire company to have an agreement with the local plod for speeding and parking offences so that they bill you keep a % and pass the rest to the plod, or so i've been told

[Dwight VanDriver]

No provsion as yet for enforcing speeding offences committed in the EU in UK but they are working on it.

Small print on agreement from Hire Company may lead them to docking your plastic. Still got a copy - read it.

May not be wise to return to Italy for some time as you may be recorded on their files as a non payer?

DVD

[baz1985]

report the card you used as lost with your issuer and then that will be cancelled. you'll be issued with a new card no then they won't be able to get anything as they have details of card which would no longer be valid.

baz

[jayjay]

good one, baz!

[Trommel]

baz1985 said:

report the card you used as lost with your issuer and then that will be cancelled. you'll be issued with a new card no then they won't be able to get anything as they have details of card which would no longer be valid. baz

This is the sort of advice I like.

Irony of being caught in Italy, in a 1.2 hire car is not lost on me - spent most of the week with the accelerator glued to the floor just trying to get out of the way of the 200 kmh plus red mist locals...

[medicineman]

It's not a scam is it? Similar scam going on with Spanish hires cars and speeding/parking tickets.

[bluepolarbear]

Trommel said:

Hmm... hadn't considered that, but they are not authorised to do so and have done their part by identifying the driver/hirer to the best of their ability.

AFAIK car hire and hotels are they only organisations who are authorised to make charges to your cc without your authority

[JMGS4]

Hire companies DO have on all EU contracts the right to bill you for any fines etc.........
and the eytie BiB can call out an EU arrest warrant (if they're really out to get you), served by GB BiB and you then get put on a plane to answer for your "crime" in spaghettiland........

[Dwight VanDriver]

JMGS4 said:

Hire companies DO have on all EU contracts the right to bill you for any fines etc......... and the eytie BiB can call out an EU arrest warrant (if they're really out to get you), served by GB BiB and you then get put on a plane to answer for your "crime" in spaghettiland........

Does not the European Warrant of Arrest under Extradition Act 2003 only refer to "serious" offences, i.e. those that if committed in UK would attract at least 12 monthsa imprisonment?

DVD

[JMGS4]

Dwight VanDriver said:

JMGS4 said: Hire companies DO have on all EU contracts the right to bill you for any fines etc......... and the eytie BiB can call out an EU arrest warrant (if they're really out to get you), served by GB BiB and you then get put on a plane to answer for your "crime" in spaghettiland........ Does not the European Warrant of Arrest under Extradition Act 2003 only refer to "serious" offences, i.e. those that if committed in UK would attract at least 12 monthsa imprisonment? DVD

DVD, TBH I don't really know, but judging from bLIARS attitude to drivers we're all serious criminals when we drive.......

[Trommel]

Better cross Italy off the holiday list then... It's not a scam, has a photo of the "incident" attached etc.

[blueyes]

Trommel said:

Just received a letter from the Italian police with a photo of my hire car doing 139 kmh in an apparently 90 kmh zone on the autostrada along with a request for Euro 352. I am a UK resident with a UK licence. I intend to ignore it - should I? Thanks in advance.

If the letter hasn't been signed for, how can they prove you received it? Failing that, if it's not all in English send it back and ask for a translation. That should bugger them up!

edited to add:
The fine is probably because you didn't get at least 160kmh out of a 1.2

>> Edited by blueyes on Wednesday 6th October 12:19

[billhol999]

blue eyes said ask for a translation.


it is your absolute right to have the charge and details expressed in english or language u understand , assuming said letter is from the police or similar and not just the hire company.

human rights. article 6 3 a

Im not sure the eye ties will listen , they have a peculair view of justice, and a nasty habit of trebling fines and penalties, not sure if it applies here..




rgds
bill

the new version is here.. cant find the current one, but its the same for this subject.

http://ue.eu.int/uedocs/cms_data/docs/2004/4/29/Charter%20of%20fundemental%20rights%20of%20the%20European%20Union.pdf

[Trommel]

It's already in (pidgin) English.

[andygo]

Send it back, marked 'gone away'.

[Trommel]

Thought about that, but looks a bit suspect now it's already been opened.

[andygo]

They don't know who opened it do they. They are hardly going to send round their traffic Plods are they?

Stick some spaghetti in the envelope as well for good measure.

Get someone from your local Italian Restaurant to write in Italian to them. I am sure they would be only too happy to oblige.


Ciao.

>> Edited by andygo on Wednesday 6th October 15:33