Important news concerning ‘Speeding in France’
There’s some really important news for all of you who are planning to drive in France. Please make sure you read the full article!
You may or may not know that in May 2017 the EU Cross-Border Enforcement Directive came into force.
The directive states that if you’re driving a motor vehicle in any country that is part of the directive and commit any one of 8 specific road traffic offences, the respective country can request the owners details from the DVLA and prosecute you for the offence.
What offences does the directive cover?
The eight driving offences that are covered under the EU Cross-Border Enforcement Directive include drink driving, drug driving, speeding, using handheld mobile phones, traffic light offences, forbidden lane contraventions, non wearing of seat belts and not wearing a helmet.
What are the penalties under the directive?
Points are currently not transferable between member states however there are fines applicable which are set by the country where the offence took place. These fines can be substantially higher than in the UK.
How are the fines collected?
In France it is the owner of the vehicle who assumes responsibility for the fine and they will therefore be sent a letter detailing the offence committed and the fine that is due to be paid. If the fine is not paid, additional fees can be added and the total fine can be pursued under normal EU cross judicial systems.
Vehicles returning to the country with unpaid fines can also be dealt with under the same system that French residents are dealt with which can include vehicle seizure.
Important Speed Camera News!
Due to the current number of deaths on French roads that are related to speeding, French authorities are under a large amount of pressure to address the situation.
As a result the authorities have planned to introduce a large number of speed traps by using private companies instead of tasking the police.
Private companies will not only have more resources but will also have more time and incentive to make this measure work. Currently there are a number of police cars fitted with speed detection devices but due to other duties their use is limited. The aim of the authorities is to have over 450 private vehicles fitted with speed detection devices by 2019.
Unmarked cars will prove hard to spot by motorists and their aim will be to catch those travelling at 10% in excess of the limit where the limit is 100kph and 10kph over the limit where it is under 100kph.
The new cars are due to be on the roads in Normandy by May 2018 and covering the whole of France by Summer 2019. Anyone caught by these cameras will be subject to the EU Cross-Border Enforcement Directive and so if you’re speeding in France you may well receive a fine through the post on returning home.
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