Safe Speed Forums

It happened yesterday. I was in Holland driving a rental car near Baarlo, a town in eastern Holland near the German border. I saw the Gatso, which was on a straight piece of road at a time when no other vehicle was present. In a somewhat cavalier, gatso-hating moment of passion, I stepped on the accelerator as I approached and went past it. It had a sort of red lens - not the English type. Sure enough, I saw it flash or blink in the mirror as I went by.

My immediate thought was that it won't matter - I don't live in Holland. But with the ever tightening noose of EU regulation around our collective neck, I am pondering the possible outcome. Here is my list of possibilities.

• Nothing will happen.
• The Dutch police will take no further action once they discover that the car was a rental car.
• The Dutch police will ask the rental company for the name of the driver, but will take no further action once they find that the driver is not a Dutch national.
• The Dutch police will write me a nasty letter, but will have to concede that they can't do anything.
• The Dutch authorities will impose a fine on the rental car company, who will then charge the amount to my credit card.

I have to admit that it's that last possibility that irks me the most. Years ago, I would have had no worry - just like the time when I got a $53 parking fine in California, and threw the ticket into the nearest bin, and never heard anything more about it.

But in the new EU superstate, where Government is to be served by the people rather than the other way round, there is that niggling uncertainty that I shall be classified as guilty until proven innocent, and that any fine will be imposed via the rental car company. It makes me wonder whether I should cancel my credit card right now.

Please post your views, and I will post back in about a month's time, or when I hear from my rental car company/the Dutch authorities, whichever comes first.

I wonder what would happen if you lost your credit card?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I have read elsewhere (maybe on Pepipoo) that the UK authorities doe help out our European buddies.

recently there has been an agreement in Europe to formally do this.

Good luck.

One rental company in UK I know gave the foreign address to the scamera and they wrote to that address.

The basic choices you have are to a) act like a coward and try anything to dodge the treatment you richly deserve, or b) you could live up to your responsibilities as a citizen and pay your debts.

I suggest you continue to act like a chav and shit on everybody's doorstep when you are abroad, blaming your stupid act on the EU superstate (!) or whatever other thought comes into your head. As you admit, Brits often act like anti-social nit-wits in foreign countries, so why let the Dutch down on this occasion?

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I stole this .sig

The EU powers that be want its member countries to be able to prosecute perpetrators of offences committed in their countries. This probably means that they would also like to go after foreigners who violate their traffic laws, but I don't think this has been legislated in the UK - yet. You can be given an on-the-spot fine, though.

You might fiind this interesting: http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/police/po ... ation3.pdf

I'd be very surprised if TPTB can deduct monies from your credit card, without your express knowledge and permission.

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Say NO to Nanny.

TPTB can't deduct money from your credit card, but if you've signed a hire car agreement the hire company certainly can.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

At least it will only be cash & no points

I would certainly cancel my credit card today

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Steve

I'm keeping my credit card.

Notes to the above

1. I'm a safe driver and have never been prosecuted for any moving violation in the UK in over 30 years of driving. No accidents in the last 25 years, and maximum no claims bonus.
2. There was no danger as I passed that gatso yesterday. The road was straight, with no side turnings, no road junctions, no properties overlooking that piece of road, and no pedestrians or other vehicles present.
3. Had there been any of the above, I would have maintained my previous speed or slowed down - as appropriate - whether or not a camera was present.
4. In my view, this camera was a classic example of opportunist revenue raising so often complained about in this forum.
5. I am never going to take life as seriously as Basingwerk does.

I found this crumb of comfort in one of the other threads. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4292645.stm

I assume when he rented the car he will have agreed to an ammount in excess of the rental fee.

I know collegue of mine got caught out by this because it counts as being charged to your card for a period of time hence uses up some of your credit limit. This left him with no credit for the duration of his holiday.

If this is the case then as the fee was agreed in advance of the card being "lost" he will still be responsible.

Probably....

Yes, this is the case, and is the reason I use AMEX for rental cars - there is no credit limit.

But I think the main reason rental companies block off a proportion of your available credit is more to do with the renter wrecking the car, without having taken out the optional collision damage waiver insurance, or loss damage waiver as it is becoming known. I recently found out that in the US, without loss damage waiver, a renter can be held liable for loss of the car even if it was stolen and the renter can produce the car key.

The real issue here is this: If they were to prosecute, would the Dutch authorities write to me to give notice of prosecution - ie., would I be given the right to stand up in court? Or, under the powers of the new EU superstate, is it "guilty without right of appeal", and a fine collected from the rental company? After all, the rental company is not liable.

A friend of mine was caught by a Gatso, in Holland, in a rental Car about 5 years ago. He heard nothing from the Rental company.

On his return to holland several months later, he was pulled to one side at passport control, and fined for the offence.

Just make sure you have your card next time you visit!

Steve, that's excellent news - thanks! We had already decided (before the Gatso incident) that rather than paying for air tickets, car parking at Luton (now £10/day) and a rental car, we would be better off taking our own car, making a ferry or Eurotunnel crossing to France, and then just driving the rest of the way. In this case, the Dutch authorities will be unaware of my arrival in their country.

Wonder if NIP process works same in holland as here ? - ie would renter be forced to pass on your details ?

Three weeks have gone by, and... nothing.

Why on earth did you speed up??????????

It was a bit of a moronic thing to do wasn't it.

The road was clear, and it was completely safe. And, like most people in here, I dislike speed cameras whose placement has nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with revenue raising. This one clearly fell into the latter of those two categories. Think of it as an Agincourt salute.

Be nice to see uk authorities doing unto the eec what the eec do unto us and giving the Dutch a Dutch treat of two fingers rampant. Don't know what situation is now, but not so long ago if you had an accident with a continental on holiday ( and it was their fault) you might as well shriug your shoulders and kiss your NCB goodbye, cos the continental authorities wouldn't do much.
Or perhaps its not financial viable to chase you up.(hope so)