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Speeding fines


billyo
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Hi,

Just recieved a speeding fine and was talking to someone about it who said that as Im a resident in france I have to change my licence to a french one before I can pay it off. Is this the case do I have to take the french test before I can get it changed,  or can I just shoot down the Marie and sort it out?

Cheers

Billyo

 

 

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You only have to exchange your licence if you commit an offence involving points, withdrawal or suspension of the licence.

However, if your "ticket" mentions only a single point, then this is often waived for foreign licence holders, so just pay the fine, keep your fingers crossed, and drive more carefully in future.....[;-)]

 

 

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It depends how much you were over the limit. If more than 20kph over then the penalty is loss of 2+ points and the police will probably eventually chase you up to change you license. If less than this over the limit the penalty is one point and they probably won't bother. But do pay the fine quickly whatever it is, as it goes up if you delay. You can pay online or by a cheque in the post. No need to go to the Mairie. Pat.
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Poor old MARIE;some people expect her to do everything!!seriously tho' you can pay the fine,no license required but you need a French one so they can put the points on it(or rather subtract points)-the French system is the other way round.
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Does the situatiion change if my girlfriend got one half an hour before me, in the same car, but both were for going less than 10k over the limit, if I take the point for her as she already has a few!?

Cheers

Billyo

 

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My o/h was stopped for speeding.  He was 22k over the limit.  The gendarme wrote down 19 k over the limit; he paid the fine and that was the end of that.  Be contrite, be polite, and the chances are you'll be OK, if a little slimmer in the wallet department.
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[quote user="billyo"]

Does the situatiion change if my girlfriend got one half an hour before me, in the same car, but both were for going less than 10k over the limit, if I take the point for her as she already has a few!?

[/quote]

Of course the situation changes. 

Instead of her having to pay out a few euros and gaining a point, you go to prison for two years for making a fraudulent declaration on an official document......[8-)]

 

 

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[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

Of course the situation changes. 

Instead of her having to pay out a few euros and gaining a point, you go to prison for two years for making a fraudulent declaration on an official document......[8-)]

[/quote]

 

[:D][:D][:D][:D]

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I have been resident in France for five years and have had two speeding tickets, both for small amounts over the limit. I paid on line with my French debit card and I think the fine was reduced from 60 to 45 euros for quick payment.  I was never asked to produce my UK driving licence and after two years I am not expecting to hear anything further.  Both offences occurred because I had not realised that in France a rectangular village name plate is an automatic warning of a 50 kph limit, no matter how small  the village is, how good the visibility, etc.  I am actually a rather slow driver, frequently urged by my daughters and grandchildren to 'get a move on', so , no lectures, please.  In 42 years of driving, these are my only brushes with the law - not even a parking fine before then.

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A couple of weeks ago I received a speeding fine just outside Rouen  -motorcycle Gendarmes -very polite and a really nice bike!! - I was apparently doing 145km in a 110km zone (I say apparently because I actually don't agree with that, but I wasn't going to argue at the roadside - be relaxed and pay the fine I say!!!) - an on-the-spot fine of 90 euros - as I am resident in UK, should I be expecting anything further such as a points penalty, and if so, how does that work with a UK resident on a UK licence?
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[quote user="Tony F Dordogne"]Asking about whether you should commit a criminal offence in a public forum doesn't seem very sensible to me ............. [/quote]

It must be the weather, Tony, there's another question elsewhere about credit card fraud!  [Www]

Sid

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As drivers in France, we are all conversant with the code de la route....[Www]

According to Art R413-3:

In agglomerations (built up areas), the speed is limited to 50kph.  However, this limit may be increased to 70kph on roads where resident access and pedestrian crossings are limited in number and protected by the appropriate barriers.  On the Paris boulevard peripherique, the limit is fixed at 80kph.

It's frightening that we just seem to have no idea......

 

 

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[quote user="Juswundrin"]"I had not realised that in France a rectangular village name plate is an automatic warning of a 50 kph limit"

In the absence of any other signs, it's 70 within villages, surely?[/quote]

A town or village entrance sign (called EB10) automatically indicates a speed limit of 50km/h. The exit sign (called EB20) signifies the end of the speed restriction.

The maximum speed (50km/h) can be increased or decreased by arrêté municipal or préfectoral.

See here: dépliant-signalisation.pdf

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[quote user="jc"]Most people in the UK don't realize that all motoring offences are criminal not civil.[/quote]

Are you sure about that ?

Given the number of people who have points for speeding it would mean

probably 80% of the drivers : who are - what ? - 80% of the population

have a criminal record.

No wonder the UK has the greatest % of its populus behind bars !

p

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UK radio 4 this morning ............Police seeking a different way of vehicle inentification  as over 40.000 sets of number plates have been reported  stolen in past year......obviously these are not bank robbers fitting out getaway cars but ordinary people who have turned to this crime to avoid camera speed fines...loss of job etc .....I suppose the next move will be the index numbers will have to be  spray painted on the bonnets and rear of our cars .....
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From The Times (17 May 2007):

Car trick backfires

A company director was jailed for four months after trying to avoid detection by speed cameras by fitting his car with false number plates. Brian Beaton, 58, of Gillingham, admitted perverting the course of justice and speeding using false number plates at Maidstone Crown Court.

It's a pity the Times header refers to a "car trick" backfiring, which gives the impression that it was more of a prank.....

 

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