I am currently on vacation in the Dordogne, and am having a wonderful time, but there's a nagging concern in the back of my mind. While traveling down from Paris, I think I got nailed by a speed camera (I saw a bright light, and it was not a religious experience). I was going 130 km/hr in a 130 zone, however, conditions were cloudy, it had been raining earlier, but it was not raining at the time, and had not been raining for at least an hour. I know that the limit goes down to 110 when it is raining, but I'm concerned that I might get a ticket for speeding in the rain when, in fact, it was not raining. It is my understanding that, if a ticket is issued from a speed camera, my rental car agency (EuropeCar, through AutoEurope) will provide information to French authorities and charge me 25 Euros. The French authorities will then send me a ticket in the mail. My question is - if I receive a ticket in the mail, and the fine is, in fact, for speeding in the rain when it was not raining, what are my options? Can I contest it? If I decide to ignore it, what are the potential adverse consequences, if any?
Posted by
Kurikka, Finland
92 posts
We got one in Germany 2 yrs ago. Came by certified mail. Checked with some frinds who said ignore it. Got a 2nd one maybe 4 mo.s after the incident. Since then nothing. I guess ignoring works. Might want to rent from a different rental car agency next time though ;-)
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
If you do decide to ignore it, will you then tell us how you feel about foreign visitors to your country ignoring tickets for speeding?
Posted by
OP
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
4 posts
Yes. If the circumstances were the same as what I might have experienced, I would have absolutely no problem with it at all. Thanks for your helpful response.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
If they got you, they got you; pay up and quit whining, You could probably contest it by going back to France, but you probably wouldn't win. If you don't pay promptly, the fine will probably increase. It's not a deportable offense and border patrol will probably not place you on a no-entry list. I'm no expert, but I don't think a flash would reach from teh camera to your car. Also, I've looked at those things and never noticed a light gizmo or noticed a flash when somebody drove past them at mach 2. Chalk it up to a religious experience. Amen, brother.
Posted by
Dallas, TX, USA
1170 posts
Pay it.
Posted by
Wiesbaden, Germany
791 posts
It depends - if you plan on ever going back to France, pay it. If not then you can ignore it but if the rental car place has your credit card, you might be screwed.
Posted by
OP
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
4 posts
I'm not whining - just trying to get a response from someone who might actually know something about this.
Posted by
Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
629 posts
I received a speeding ticket via certified mail after we had returned home from Spain in May. The ticket showed a photo of our car and the noted speed. I chose to pay it on line by credit card rather than face any future problems with car rental agencies or entry. Part of your agreement is to pay for any such items. In this information age I did not want to have any future problems in Spain or with rentals elsewhere. It was a lot less money than my speeding ticket on a recent trip to California!
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
1525 posts
I've been nailed twice. Both times by camera. Both times the car rental company simply billed our credit card directly without ever giving us a chance to argue about it.
Posted by
OP
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
4 posts
Randy - do you mind sharing which rental car company you were using? Thanks...
Posted by
San Diego
552 posts
Last year in France the flash went off a couple times while we drove past the cameras (once I was passing.) Must have been for traffic in the opposite direction, because there was never a ticket.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
1525 posts
Stephen; First ticket was in Edinburgh, the second in rural France, along the motorway. Both times the company was Hertz. Naturally, I wasn't happy about it. Neither time was I driving with any open disregard to signage. But if a country is going to allow photo cops over real ones, I don't really see what the alternative would have been. Hertz gets a notice that one of their cars committed an offense and they get charged for it. that charge gets passed along. Meanwhile, 4000 miles away, no one is going to contest a ticket. It's an unwinnable situation.