Safe Speed Forums

Hi everybody!

I received 4 speed tickets yesterday, all of them are from last week, in the same place, at the same time, but different days (yes, I know I'm stupid) and the same speed (35 when 30).

The thing is that my license is Spanish and I'm really worried about the points. I know I can't be taken out points from my spanish license, but I´ve read they can force me to exchange it for a uk one and then take the points, can't they?

What should I do?
What happens if they make me change my license in order to take out all my points (4tickets X 3points/each)?
How long will I be disqualified?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Not sure about an EU licence but an international licence can only be used for 1 year in the UK.

OK, I checked....



Use your 28 days to do as much research as possible then send back the NIPs naming the driver.


Not sure they can, but it is possible that if you have to get a UK licence then the points can be applied when you do get one. I can't see anything suggesting they can force you to exchange an EU licence for a UK one.


A month? 2 months? I think.

You need some proper legal advice.

Tot up accumulation - normally 6 months but can be at court discretion.


Go to CAB who can perhaps cut down footwork on finding a fair priced firm of solicitors - and hunt for solicitor specialising in traffic offences. Many forms offer a free initial interview before taking on the case as well.


I guess you are new to the area which may help mitigate given same cam and speed. Again this highlights the danger of being made aware of the mistake some 14 days after the event as well. If argued with rair minded reason - it may help you escape a ban or reduce it significantly at the court's discretion.


Seek out help from local IAM or even an ADI to get yourself some better COAST skills

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

Hi again!

I'm going to update the case.

Finally, I didn't receive the last speed ticket I was expecting and the first one was exchanged for a speed awareness course, so now I have only 2 of them.

I've already received the letter with all the payment directions and this stuff for both of them. In this letter, they say that if I have a EU license (this is my case) I can accept this fixed penalty offer if I provide the UK counterpart. I applied for this counterpart, but I haven't received it yet and I was told that it can take up to 8 weeks.

The problem is that I need to accept the fixed penalty offer before the 21st of March and I'm sure I'm not going to receive the counterpart on time. Is it possible to ask for an time extension in order to be able to accept the offer? How should I do it?

Thanks a lot for all your help!

We have a Slovak girl at work who gets caught speeding all the time.
She simply goes to court, pays the fine, and that is the end of it (she actually takes pride in the fact her license cannot be touched).

I must admit that her cavalier attitude to UK motoring law pi$$es me off somewhat, but what can you do with someone like that?

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

Now that I am no longer a JP i hadn't intended to post here again ( you already have enough people posting out of date information) but a friend asked my opinion on the post by Gixxer.

When any holder of a non UK licence gets points they are recorded at DVLA against the drivers name. This happens regardless of whether they do or don't take out a UK licence.

If he - or in this case she - reaches 12 points they are liable to disqualification in exactly the same way as a UK licence holder. Although the court can't touch the foreign licence they have the power to declare it invalid in the UK for any period of time they think appropriate.

If the ban is ignored then the driver is liable to conviction for driving while disqualified, with consequent risk of custody (which is recommended for second or subsequent offences with community penalty for the first one).

And before anyone asks - I have checked this today with an ex colleague who still sits as a JP and she confirms that this is unchanged.

I was just repeating what this girl at work "proudly" tells us Fisherman, while at the same time she is pointing out how stupid we (the Brits) are.

I have no idea how many times she has actually been caught committing traffic offences, but it's obviously not enough if she is still driving.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

i wasn't having a go at you. It is a common belief that foreign licence holders are immune from points and the correct information doesn't seem to be easy to find.

I thought if the CAR was registered abroad, then you were immune from being nicked ? I even thought about buying a foreign car from a foreign place, then running amok collecting tickets.

Hi everybody and sorry for the delay!

Just let you know, to finish this thread, that they gave me the time extension, I received the counterpart and I was able to take the points.

Also, I attended the speed awareness course so I save 3 extra points.

Final result: 6 points on my licence and £194 (74+60+60) less in my account.

Thanks all of you for your wise advices.

Well, that's just one of the ways in which this place is worse than Spain. (I know the police in Spain are quite tough on speeders, but they certainly don't have as many cameras as us.)


I expect that that derives (partly at least) from the fact that SCPs don't bother following it up when a camera photographs a foreign number plate (not that it's about only prosecuting when it's cost-effective or anything; it's actually because speeding isn't dangerous when it's done by a foreign-registered vehicle).

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Paul Smith: a legend.

"The freedom provided by the motor vehicle is not universally applauded, however: there are those who resent the loss of state control over individual choice that the car represents. Such people rarely admit their prejudices openly; instead, they make false or exaggerated claims about the adverse effects of road transport in order to justify calls for higher taxation or restrictions on mobility." (Conservative Way Forward: Stop The War Against Drivers)

Indeedy, I hope fisherman will still view the site and post up regardless of whether retired or not as his views and experiences are still valid and worthwhile.

Yes - a court can ban a foreign driver from driving here. The 2002 stage winner is the most famous case as he got banned from driving on our public roads for 6 months after the Welsh Rally fiasco in 2002/2003 whereby the guys were practising and pinged all the cams on the way to the actual circuit. The rally driving aces were allowed to compete here - but not drive as "normal on the public roads with the public" for the duration of these bans.


It did not affect their domestic licences at all and it did not really matter that much to these guys as they do not live here anyway

Can be a bit hit and miss to police for the average tourist who fell foul of the traffic laws though as they can and do hire a car on their foreign licence without any problems.. (DVLA fails to update databases ) . unlike Switzerland which will record all details and non payments of fines precisely


Gixxer - if your Slovak girl resided in this patch - we would be doing our best to get her off the road by locking her up! Basically if she's being done for traffic offences and stacking up penalties - then whilst her licence may entitle her to drive in Slovakia - as far as our laws are concerned - she's driving around without a licence. If she's dishonest nough to do this - her dishonesty may reflect in other areas of her lifestyle/personality.

monchote - delighted things worked out for you and I hope you enhanced your COAST skills on the Speed Aware course

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

It's funny you should say that IG.

Last year a colleague & myself went to her house (that she is buying with her boyfriend), and even though her boyfriend works as well.....there is no way she can afford the lifestyle she is currently living on their combined income.
We came to the conclusion they had to be "at it" in some way, we just couldn't work out what they were up to in order to generate the funds needed to support the lifestyle they lead.

_________________
What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

- only £56 short of what it would cost to buy a Road Angel™, in which case this whole debacle could have been avoided.

Monchote gives every impression of being an honest and sound person of good integrity, and not someone who would drive recklessly or endanger others. I'd love to see the stretch of road where he was caught. No doubt it has a politically driven speed limit with an opportunist Gatso camera.