Up to quarter of a million Britons face driving fines
France issued nearly 250,000 requests to the UK for information on the owners of vehicles caught by speed cameras or other devices in the six months after an exchange agreement came into force.
The details seek to identify vehicles caught on camera in France since January this year but also include a stock of vehicle details gathered by French authorities before that date.
A spokesman for the road safety department of France’s interior ministry said: “I can’t say when the stock was started, but I expect it covers the months before the exchange came into force.
“As we get information from the UK, we will send fines for speeding and other offences.”
Differences in the legal systems between the two countries mean that France cannot take people who do not pay to British magistrates courts in the same way UK fines are enforced.
Similarly, points cannot be added to UK licences for offences committed in France.
But the spokesman said unpaid fines will show on computers used by police in France. “If this comes up during a check in France, the forces of law and order can require that the fine is paid on the spot,” he said. “If this is not done, further steps, including having the vehicle immobilised, can be taken.”
Collecting unpaid fines is the responsibility of France’s Trésor Public. International arrangements covering tax evasion and recovering money from tax evaders also cover unpaid fines.
The interior ministry spokesman said: “I don’t know if Trésor Public intends to use these arrangements for speeding tickets but it is a possibility.”
A finance ministry spokeswoman said: “It is something we will have to look into.”
Figures for French-plated cars caught committing driving offences in the UK are not available but Connexion has submitted a freedom of inform-ation request for details.
Kent Police, which was vocal in calling for cross-border speeding fines to be introduced, said it did not have figures for fines issued to French cars.
In France, tickets for speeds up to 20kph over the limit are €68 if the offence is committed in a zone where the speed limit is over 50kph. This is reduced to €45 if it is paid quickly and raised to €180 if payment is delayed.
If the offence takes place in an area where the limit is 50kph or below, the fine is €135, reduced to €90 for early payment or raised to €375 for late payment.
Fines where the speed is up to 20-30kph over the limit are €135, with €90 for early payment and €375 for late payment. For speeds of 30-40kph and 40-50kph over the limit, the fine remains the same.
If the speed is more than 50kph over the limit, the maximum fine is €1,500, and a French licence can be taken away for more than three years.
In the UK, speeding fines are calculated in line with the driver’s income, with the minimum fine being £100.
As well as the UK, France has information-sharing agreements with Belgium, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland and Sweden.
