EU cross-border enforcement directive

[MarkW]

Not sure if this has already been covered elsewhere on the forum, but it seems that from May 2017 speeding offences committed in EU Member States will be pursued in the offenders country of residence. Up to now the UK has opted out of similar agreements that exist between some other European countries, but as of 2017 it will mandatory.

Bugger.

Edited April 26, 2015 by MarkW

[Joeman]

another good reason to leave the European union!

[Guest]

Not sure if this has already been covered elsewhere on the forum, but it seems that from May 2017 speeding offences committed in EU Member States will be pursued in the offenders country of residence.

 

The only difference this makes is that you can't blithely ignore foreign gatso equivalents. nothing more than that. if its a copper that catches you he'll still demand instant cash - that wont be changing. or will it? seems to me if i got caught by a french copper speeding on the autoroute - i would rather pay the fine later than 'on the spot'.

other than that.. complaining about having to pay a fine because you broke the law in another country seems pointless and theres just a hint of double standards. theres usually an outcry when a foreign car breaks the law here and nothing can be done. works both ways now.. a german travelling at 100mph through speed cameras on the M1 will have to pay a fine. it'll catch up with him. Not to mention all the lesser offences that they can get away with - because we don't 'do' instant fines.

fairs fair.

personally i think its just a tad rude.. if not daft to think we can travel to another country and ignore their laws.

The biggest shame is that the 'points' system isn't standardised.. my vote goes to the Italian system. where you start off with 20 points and for every 2 years of 'good driving' you get 2 added on up to a maximum of 30. also lower speed limit infractions.. like doing 35 in a 30 gets you just 1 point. more serious stupidity like going through a red light = 6 points. (the Italians pay a lot of attention to lights)

Edited April 26, 2015 by Anonymous

[MarkW]

No double standards here: some of us ignore our own rules too.

[Guest]

No double standards here: some of us ignore our own rules too.

 

No worries then.. if you don't mind risking paying fines here.. you shouldn't mind the same risk over there - just be sure you have plenty of cash on you. on the autoroute the speed limit is around 80mph. get caught by a copper doing 110 and thats a nice little €1,500 fine.. pay instantly.

caught a second time and they bump it up to €3,750

[Tankbag]

That's 50 euro's per 1 mph !

[Guest]

That's 50 euro's per 1 mph !

 

it is.. though at the lower end of the scale. 12mph over the limit is just a paltry €68

[Tankbag]

Hmm, a mate of mine got fined in France for speeding based on his tachograph, he didn't argue & paid up, later he went through it & the only speeding he could find was on the M20 !

[Guest]

Ive only been done for speeding in Austria.. can't remember offhand what the fine was. something like €25 it wasn't a huge fine. they're crafty over there though.. they don't announce themselves wearing hi-viz. the uniforms are green and they tend to lurk on the outskirts of villages or just inside the border in doorways.. or similarly hidden. especially the german border.

the french do the same.. i guess they make a lot of money from germans who 'forget'.

all this new directive means is that we need to be more wary of speed cameras. up to now.. we could ignore them. but once this directive comes into force - we can't. no big deal.

you hardly see any in germany.. aside from villages. or the approach to a level crossing with no gates. an added incentive to actually slow down and make sure no train is approaching.

[Tankbag]

on the approach to a level crossing with no gates. an added incentive to actually slow down and make sure no train is approaching.

Lol !

Bullet technology go through quick enough & it'll miss you [emoji41]

[MarkW]

all this new directive means is that we need to be more wary of speed cameras. up to now.. we could ignore them. but once this directive comes into force - we can't.

 

And that was my reason for posting the info. There are many of us - myself included - who are aware of the fact that we can currently go past speed cameras on the continent with impunity, and consequently we don't keep our eye on the speedo with quite the same assiduity as we do in the UK. That's not to say that the second we cross the channel we start riding as though we're trying to break the land speed record, just that we know letting it drift past 130 kph is neither here nor there. From 2017 we'll have to be more careful.

For the record, I stick to speed limits everywhere except the motorway. There are times when I'll happily trundle along at 70 mph, and equally there are times and conditions when I'll go faster. That's the way it has been in the 25 years I have been driving, and last year when I got caught for the first time I accepted the points and paid the fine.

[Tankbag]

Yep as Bob Dylan sang, a times they are a changin