gutter-rat

A friend just sent me this, I thought it might be of interest to some of you on here ......

EURO WARNING

Tuesday 4th May

Be aware of the conequences of committing motoring offences abroad. Leave your radar detector at home...

The RAC Foundation is warning drivers that an increasing number of British motorists are being caught speeding in France.

Over the Easter weekend, 110 UK motorists caught speeding on the A26 south of Calais incurred on the spot fines while seven Brits detected driving substantially in excess of the limit and two drink drivers were arrested and bailed to appear in court. According to reports, these drivers also had their licences and cars confiscated until their hearings!

In the future, offending drivers may meet even more serious deterrents if proposed new legislation is adopted by the British Government.

French authorities claim that ten per cent of all motoring offences are committed by foreigners and are desperate to bring down the high levels of road fatalities and injuries - double those in the UK. While serious offenders are prosecuted through the courts, the majority of misdemeanours - like speeding - are dealt with by on the spot fines of up to £200.

But now the French want to get even tougher on British drivers who speed and flout the law and have approached the UK Government and other European neighbours to sign up to a convention which would extend the powers of punishment to include penalty points and potential disqualification when motorists return home.

The Home Office is thought to be considering the plans sympathetically having already agreed to an Act stipulating that a British driver disqualified in a European country should also lose their licence here.

It's not just drivers in France who should exercise caution on the roads this year either. In Spain, from July, that age-old motoring chivalry - warning on coming drivers of the presence of police ahead - could leave UK visitors in hot water too as it becomes an offence to do so then. It will also become compulsory to have a reflective vest in the car for use in emergencies.

Radar Detectors

The ban on speed detection devices, widespread throughout mainland Europe, also extends to Spain from the summer when the installation and use of a radar detector becomes an offence.

Drivers with speed detection devices fitted to their cars can face a jail sentence, a driving ban, having their vehicle confiscated or paying a huge fine if they take them to many parts of Europe.

While the radar and laser detectors, which warn motorists of speed enforcement equipment in the vicinity, have been legal to own and use in the UK since 1999, many other European countries ban them and impose stringent sentences for having them fitted in the vehicle - even when they are not operational.

Punishment for carrying or using such a device can vary from possible imprisonment in Luxembourg and the Republic of Ireland, to the loss of licence and car and a fine of up to £1000 in France.

* Definitive information on the legality/illegality of using the devices in individual European and Scandinavian countries is difficult to establish but France, Belgium, Greece, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Norway all operate bans and will shortly be joined by Spain.
* The harshest potential punishment is levied in Luxembourg where a custodial sentence of between eight days and three years is possible. The Republic of Ireland also deals harshly with offenders and a six month prison sentence is possible.
* France, the country most likely to be visited by Brits, can deprive you of your car, licence and up to 1500 Euros if you are caught with a speed detection device.
* Speed detection devices were illegal in the UK until 1999 when a decision by the High Court reversed the ruling, although the Government is proposing to make secondary legislation to ban their installation and use once again - creating an offence which would attract a maximum fine of £1000 and six penalty points.
* Users tend to be high mileage drivers - typically business drivers who travel in excess of 22,000 miles a year, have high annual incomes, who live in rural or semi-rural areas and drive high performance vehicles.
* 60 per cent of those who use speed detection devices say that they have become safer drivers since purchasing detectors and three quarters indicate that they are more aware of speed limits in the areas in which they are driving.

martinl

I think its illegal in scotland to use a detector, well it was until late 2002.

Martin,

Pockman

>>* Users tend to be high mileage drivers - typically business drivers who travel in excess of 22,000 miles a year, have high annual incomes, who live in rural or semi-rural areas and drive high performance vehicles.<<

The relevance of this data is....Yet another load of easy targets for the governments of europe.

Lets ban anything that makes a noise, offends born again christains, is capable of travelling at more than 70mph at any time, is capable of causing injury or death to any animals at any time, can cause extreme enjoyment, doen't levy a tax payable to polish farmers or spanish fishermen etc etc... better still, lets all move to Camden or Notting Hill, because the countryside is a horrible, cruel and dirty place full of ignorant people who really do need to be taught how to live their lives properly.

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Don't get me started on ' born agains ' !!

Just a further point to note. ALL French, and probably others too, motorways have a date and time on the ticket you get when you go through the pay barrier. Ever wondered why there are gendarme vans parked at the side of most motorway toll barriers?? They're there to occasionally do a spot check on where you've come from and how long it's taken you to get there. If the distance and speed and time don't correlate - nick nick on the spot.

Secondly, you're actually better off not being a member of a UK motoring organisation, if you get flashed by a European roadside camera either fixed or in a car. Because the authority in question will write to the AA / RAC and if you're a member, the AA/RAC will happily tell the foreign Johnnies who you are and where you live. If you're sure your car won't break down - don't join.

David API

Miniman

iTrader: (2)

Would a pure GPS based device be banned? Satelite mapping is available, and with a quick download you could add "points of interest" (known speed cameras). Are they going to ban these too?

Plus shouldn't AA/RAC have some sort of Data Protection policy that would prevent them from giving out names addresses without the correct court order?