For many Britons, a trip to Europe is part of their vacation routine. Driving on the continent is a convenient and economical way to travel. However, many drivers don’t realise that the rules around speeding in different European countries are very different than here in the UK. In fact, UK drivers could face fines of up to £640 from hidden speed cameras as they travel through Europe.
Changing rules
The new fine came into force in May this year, after a two-year exemption held by the UK came to an end. This had previously protected UK drivers from the full extent of fines and prosecution for speeding while driving on the continent. It means that countries can now track down British drivers when they return home.
The EU directive covers a total of eight motoring offences. These range from speeding to using a mobile phone while driving and failing to wear a seatbelt. Previously, the rules meant UK motorists would only face a fine when they were stopped roadside by the police, or if they hired a car from that country.
Now, the new rules allow European countries to get driver details through the DVLA database, which holds records on some 40 million vehicles. This allows countries to find the driver and send the fine.
Different rules
Bizarrely, as things stand, the UK cannot do the same – foreign drivers caught speeding here can use a legal loophole to escape fines and punishment. This is because the directive is based on the idea that the vehicle’s registered owner is the one responsible for fines. However, in the UK it is the driver of the vehicle who receives the fine.
Motoring editor at Confused.com, Amanda Stretton, warned that drivers on the continent should be very aware of the traffic laws when driving there. This is even more important now European countries have the right to pursue drivers once they’re back home. Stretton advises,
“Now that authorities in EU countries can pursue UK drivers committing these offences, we hope motorists are extra careful to avoid breaking the rules.
“We’d advise all those hoping to take a trip to Europe this year to research the local driving rules and requirements before travelling.”
Speed camera rules
Speed cameras here in the UK have to be installed under specific circumstances. The driver must have a chance to see the camera and take action on their speed accordingly. However, the situation on the continent is very different.
In the Netherlands, for example, speed cameras are routinely hidden in wheelie bins on bin collection day. The aim is to catch drivers speeding or breaking other rules while driving on residential streets. In Spain, unmarked cars are used to mount speeding cameras that record information as they travel – with no way for drivers to know they are being filmed. Meanwhile in France, cameras are purposefully positioned in places that people can’t see, such as on the back of bridges.
Avoiding the cameras
There are steps that drivers can take to help reduce their level of risk. Technology means that they can now identify the position of stationary cameras, even when they’re hidden. Drivesmart Pro has recently added some 20,000 European locations to its speed camera database, allowing drivers visiting the continent to get the same kind of forewarning as in the UK. The software can also detect cameras up to 600m away and warn drivers to reduce speed accordingly. PetrolPrices members are currently able to enjoy a 30% reduction on the price of the Drivesmart Pro, making it just £89.99.
The company has said that the software will be updated every fortnight. Thus, as new cameras are added or existing ones relocated, the information will remain up-to-date and accurate. This helps drivers have insider knowledge of camera locations, which can save them from massive fines.
However, note that using a speed camera detector of any type is illegal in France and carries a €1,500 fine. In Germany it is illegal to have any form of speed camera detector in a moving vehicle. In other parts of Europe, GPS speed camera detectors like the Drivesmart Pro are legal to use, but Driversmart does advise to check the laws in the relevant country before purchasing and using.
DRIVESMART PRO – WAS £129.99 NOW £89.99
The new DriveSmart Pro speed camera detection system is now available for 30% off the usual price, at just £89.99. It allows you to get advance warning that there is a speed camera on your route. That way, you can avoid those increased fines, points on your licence and the need to attend a speed awareness course.
What measures will you be taking to protect yourself from fines when next driving in Europe? Is it right that European countries can fine UK drivers for speeding by gleaning information from the DVLA? Share you views in the comments section below.
Wheelie bin camera’s would suit Birmingham as people could use them to fill up with there rubbish!
If I ever see one, I will put a sledgehammer through it. State oppression should be resisted at all times.
“oppression” and “enforcing the LAW” are two different things 🙂
Not always – most oppressive states create laws that allow them to be oppressive.
Fair point
Which oppressive state would that be then?
Would you rather kill with speed? Any parent like me would kill the driver of the car that killed their son or daughter, Im all for more speed cameras
Well said, I agree wholeheartedly. Why are motoring offences looked upon differently to say theft or burglary or stalking. It’s all law breaking so break the law and expect to pay the consequences. I would go even further and issue 30 day driving bans for such offenders. Why should I have to share the roads with dangerous lawbreaking drivers. I now wait and expect criticism from said drivers.
Speed is only a factor in about 7% of accidents. The main reason for speed limits in urban areas is tyre noise, which goes up with speed, particularly with “Chelsea Tractors” with cross country tyres. The bad news is that speed cameras are “low hanging fruit”. Really dangerous and aggressive driving is much harder to catch and prosecute.
But injuries and deaths are increased by speed. Tyre noise – that’s rubbish – all speed camera sites in UK are there because of serious accidents.
Get real ,the cameras are there to milk drivers. It doesn’t have to be an accident black spot. Injuries and deaths are created by incompetent, inexperienced, poorly trained at the learner level and bloody impatient fools. Stick ’em on a motor scooter for the first 3 months of passing the test before they drive a car. Expose ’em to harsh realities of congested and poorly maintained roads.
Indeed. Like the moronic blonde that pulled out in front of me from the slow to the fast lane on the motorway and switched back in when she realised I was about to plough into her. Unbelievably when I’d stood on the brake to avoid the collision the idiot darted in front of me again
Come on… when has there ever been a fast or slow lane on a motorway? All lanes are 70 mph limit unless stated, the inside is the driving lane and the others are overtaking lanes. I just wish people would move to the inside rather than drive mile after mile in the middle lane….
Totally agree Kant, well said!
Ant – darn dyslexic fingers.
Where does your figure of 7% come from? I’d wager it is much much higher.
I had a nasty rta years ago and the only teason i survived was he was speeding slow cars drag people under the car that kills.
*cameras
*their
Surely it’s illegal to have and use a speed camera detection system in France?
I thought so too
That is clearly stated in the article.
Right…..i was stopped a few years on the Rennes ring road for a combination of speeding and possession of a camera detector : 1500 Euros total fine – big ouch
Clearly your not the brightest of people.
He was wrong to be speeding if he had a camera detector but why should he be fined for having a speed warning device? That’s big brother tactics, basically denying him the right to ensure he is driving within the law, but allowing them to prosecute him if he accidently exceeds the speed limit. Typical EU dictator tactics. Bring on freedom.
And if you hadn’t been speeding in the first place you would have been ok !
If you a driving in the correct manner then you should be fine, and it is illegal for you to have any speed camera detection system in France
Driving in the correct manner? So let’s see, what do money-spinning speed cameras actually help with? Cash!!
However somebody can drive like an absolute idiot as long as they are beneath the speed limit!
Not really Speedy, if you are observed “driving like an idiot” you can be charged.
I do concur in the UK the councils used the cameras as cash cows, not the evidence that they feel the same in German or other nations.
It’s the UK gov who’ve decide just this year that you get fined up to 175% of your salary !!!!! Talk about cash-cow !!
Wish it was the same law here
In Germany you cannot have any dash-cam that shows the faces or registration plates of ANY vehicle even if you are just driving along a road, if someone bumps you and the police attend and look at your dash-cam footage and it shows faces or number plate details YOU get a ticket even if it was the other persons fault, so how do you get on in a german court if someone else turns up pretending to be the driver of the offending vehicle if you have no facial recognition or vehicle number plate recognition on your dash-cam footage, their laws baffool me every time.
No, in Germany you cannot *publish* dashcam footage that shows plates or faces, you must pixxelate them. Of course you can use dashcam footage in a German court.
Stop posting ignorant drivel here, please, every post you put up is factually incorrect.
Your website seems to focus on how to avoid getting caught. Surely it is more responsible to encourage drivers not to commit illegal acts in the first place? Or is it that there is a financial interest in the supply of these devices!!?
I think the answer is obvious.
The answer is that local and national governments are using reduced speed limits to make money. That is insidious and disingenuous and should be fought at all possible levels.
Where is your proof that cameras are money makers?
1 road traffic death on UK roads cost the economy on average £1.8million (1 730 deaths in 2015) and 1 seriously injury £200K (over 22 000 in 2015)
UK cameras are installed once certain critieria has been fulfilled and that criteria is a certain number of death(s) and/or serious injuries – down to history.
Road safety is reactive just like eveything else in life
I cannot question the statistics but I strongly question the “certain criteria” statement. In my opinion, it’s not down to history (accident black spot) it’s down to where an ordinary law abiding citizen might creep a tad over the limit, and to all you “perfect” drivers who never exceed the limit? Come on, tell the truth, you know you have at some time. Speed creeps up on you.
If you do your research then you will find that they are situated due to history.
Everyone does speed, some intentionally and some not but as someone has already stated previously ‘if you disobey the law then expect punishment’ – you cant argue, if your over your over, people just find excuse after excuse.
People wouldnt argue if they were part of that history
O’Neal you are wrong, the other person is totally correct.
Darn corrective spelling!
Are you a Traffic Cop, Adam?
MOBILE Police camera vans are NOT sited at previous KSI locations! They ARE cash cows – where the relevant speed limit has been set unnecessarily low on some roads and never reviewed.
I am not no, but I am invloved in road safety. The thing is loads of people say cameras are cash cows but they never have any evidence to back up there claim.
The position of mobile cameras are always published by the police and councils will have camera warning signs and give you the signs of what the speed limit is – they dont have to, they do it to help us drivers.
Councils decide speed limits, often it is due to history but who would be brave enough to up a speed limit on a road? And then for it all to go wrong and more crashes started to happen
WRONG!! Adam is correct.
The reactive nature is a big part of the problem. Deaths or accidents are simply due to statistics more traffic more accidents just because a road has few accidents doesn’t make it safe. Equally just because a road has a lot of accidents didn’t make it unsafe. The safety of a road is not determined solely by the speed limit but it is a hell of a lot easier to just put a sign up rather than actually design and build safer roads/junctions. Speed limits are just the lazy option and the cameras are for when they can’t admit speed isn’t the main problem.
So basically its drivers! Drivers cant be trusted to do the right thing.
The problem with common sense is that it is not that common, hence why there are laws in life
Your name says it all you fool.
Your so wrong. Speed cameras are placed to pick up innocent drivers who have just exceeded the limit due to going down a hill or similar. It’s a cash cow for councils masquerading as safety.
You should buy a car with better breaks
Brakes not breaks.
you should learn to spell ( brakes )
Speed cameras in the UK have to be clearly visible AND there have to be signs telling us they are there! Just don’t speed.
In Spain if you see a speed camera warnig a camera is bound to be there at some point, but mobile cameras don’t have to be advised but are usually used when persistent speeding is noted in a dangerous place.
Last week on the A 303 between Yeovil and Wincanton there was a mobile “Traffic Enforcement” van, within 300 yards of the point where an unrestricted (70 mph) dual carriageway zone reduced to a single carriageway 50 mph zone, giving drivers little time (less than 10 seconds) to slow down. What is more, the van was hidden around a left hand bend. I will say no more, other than that I would bet that they generated a lot of revenue.
What about slowing down before you get to the 50 mph zone.
Thats too complicated for most people commenting on here!
It is the law that you should be traveling at the new speed when you enter that speed zone
Cheers, this is the first spot-on answer and absolutely correct. All speed limits achieve is “bunching”- a block of vehicles travelling close together, waiting for an accident to happen.We didn’t get this in the old days-pre 70mph, and everybody tootled along at their own comfortable pace and arrived safely.
In the “old days” there were far fewer cars on the roads.
‘Pre 70mph’ days so in 1966 there were 7 982 road traffic deaths
2015 there were 1 730 road deaths
Something must be working!
European countries can fine us, but we can’t fine them.
I’m I correct in saying that if we refuse to say who was driving, the registered keeper gets a fine.
If so why cant this work abroad.
Interesting. From 2012 it was a legal requirement for the registered keeper to provide driver detail even for a parking offence. Failure to provide resulted in the Keeper being liable. This sounds more like lazy UK police. Enforce the law to the letter. As a company boss, I have to name and shame employees with company cars, otherwise I receive the fine and points.
I agree it is lazy policing. I was the inocent victim in a car accident on the UK and. I gave details of the driver and car including the make,model and licence plate.yet to both the police and insurance company yet neither bothered to follow it up. As it happens it only cost me £75 but that is because it was a motability vehicle.
More like under resourced police. Are you aware of the extent of cuts to policing services?
My view reflects some of those already expressed. These measures are put in place for reasons of safety and the aim of all motorists should be to observe them; not to look for ways to flout them. If the laws in the UK are less strict, then perhaps they have to be tightened up? I am rather appalled that an organisation such as Petrolprices should be perceived to be condoning law-breaking!
Stupid laws should be broken. And hiding speed cameras behind trees and bins is as devious as the people who are setting speed limits that are deliberately too low.
“Stupid laws” should be challenged by due legal process. Breaking teh lawy desrves punishment. You have local councillors, local police and local MPs to take up the points you suggest on how to reduce injury/death on the roads and they will likely support you if you have evidence that higher speed is safe. ( Tho I have done so as German drivers are MUCH safer on motorways etc, mainly because they KNOW and OBSERVE the traffic laws ( including speed ). But the cahnce of British drivers obeying the already written laws seems slim as you suggest re speeding )
In a perfect world “Stupid laws” should be challenged by due legal process. But we live in an imperfect world where due legal process is only available to the very rich. Police follow the edicts of government not the pleas of the public and almost all councillors and MPs toe their party line and don’t listen to the public. In Germany there is no speed limit on many motorways and as you point out they are much safer (probably because they can afford much better cars than us Brits) – so you just destroyed your own argument about speed limits. Where is your evidence that British drivers routinely flout the law (other than a few comments posted on this site) ?
I beg to differ on what you say about German drivers and the proof is on YouTube, search for Bad German drivers and look for yourself.
> search for Bad German drivers and look for yourself.
What, filmed using those “dashcams” that you claim are “illegal in Germany”?
Famously,although the autobahns in Germany are NOT subject to an overall speed limit (the blue speed limit signs, usually showing 130, are suggested maximum speeds), many stretches of autobahn are covered by signed speed limits, which are mostly closely observed by the Germans. But beware; even on unrestricted autobahns you can get a ticket for driving too fast in the prevailing conditions (heavy traffic, bad weather etc). It amazes me how many drone people exist. Ooh you must obey mummy or else – grow up FFS
They are not, they are trying to help people driving over there not to get fined, you cannot always see there speed limit signs or know all of their local bylaws or where speed limits start and end.
What’s all this got to do with the price of petrol anyway?
I live in a small village with no pathways, used as a commuting rat run. It’s a nightmare as nearly every vehicle accelerates hard into the 30mph limit with many doing 50 or 60 as they pass my house.
We lean over backwards to protect criminal motorists in this country. What we need is hidden cameras not dirty great signs telling people they are there.
It’s a bit like telling burglars the police are patrolling certain parts of town, the inference being you can get away with it somewhere else. I think you’ll also find criminal motorists kill an awful lot more people than criminal burglars.
So this is really just an advertisement for the drivesmart pro, that you can’t use anyway. It’s illegal to both use the speed camera detector and speed,
clearly 🙂
Speed camera detectors are not illegal in the UK and its a great article,I love that wheelie bin camera.
The greedy so called cash strapped councils will be queuing up to use these against the local residents in the UK,They can’t help themselves as motorists are cash cows
The councils even target disabled people, we have to get subsidance work to the inside walls of our rented council bungalow repaired ourselves at £1,500 even though it was trees on council land that did the damage
You need to tell your council to get stuffed, it’s their land and buildings that YOU are paying rent for so it is their problem not yours, let it fall down then you can sue your council, DO NOT PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS OUT OF YOUR OWN POCKET.
> let it fall down
Your idiocy knows no bounds it appear. Yeah, people should just let their house fall down to show the council up. Jesus.
It’s not their house you fool, it belongs to the council. So the comment is correct, leave it to fall down..
They are only cash cows if you speed, obey the law and you are OK, simple really, or is that a bit difficult for you to understand?
Are you really such a sanctimonious p*ick or are you just trying to upset people ?
For the record though perhaps if speed limits were moved beyond the ridiculous 1960’s ones we currently have in place then people might be more inclined to obey them.
Or is that a bit difficult for you to understand ?
Perhaps if drivers reaction times had moved on since your “ridiculous 1960’s” or we’d developed more crash-resistant pedestrians!?
Incidentally, speed limits have moved on since the 1960’s.. The National Speed Limit was raised to 60mph in the 1970’s and we now have a lot of 20mph limit areas.
cars brakes, tyres, and suspensions, are all far better than the 60s I know that a modern car can stop in half the distance of my old ford Prefect
Prior to the 1973 fuel crisis, the national speed limit outside urban areas was 70mph.
That’s an excellent reply, I do like that…
Well said. As I type this, our local news is carrying the story of a motorist who killed a child while he was speeding.
be careful Dave B, your halo may strangle you.
He’s not the only one. Obey the rules, don’t speede and you won’t get nicked
If you obey the law you pay car tax, tax on your insurance , fuel duty , 20% vat on fuel and 20% vat on fuel duty. So by obeying the law you are a cash cow.
Councils can’t enforce speed limits, only the Police can, so I don’t see them queuing up any time soon!
Who do you think govern the police and pay there wages yes the council
I thought it was the Home Office the council were purely their agents to issue pay. Maybe the system has changed since I retired
In Froggy land you will get done even if the speed cameras are activated in your TomTom or Garmin sat nav, AND don’t rely on your sat nav to know all the speed limits even if they have just been updated before you travel, take care over there, I was chased for two years for a parking ticket I got in Belgium, two minutes over the time, and they have debit collectors in England that come after you, I got mine because they do not have many disabled parking places in Europe and being disabled I could not get back to my car in a torrential downpour that was up to my knees, but it did not stop that bas**d writing me a ticket.
In Froggy land the cameras that were on older TomTom And Garmin etc. have mostly been replaced by newer cameras at different sites, and newer satnavs do not have camera sites on there mapping
Also, the French cameras seem to be changing from shooting a rear view to shooting as you approach: important if you’re used to timing your deceleration / acceleration accordingly…
You’re not entitled to use disabled parking spaces abroad anyway, it says so on your blue badge.
An anomaly in the text – states that the EU can access the DVLA database in which case the will still not know who the driver is – therefore a rapid response of “not me Guv” is in order if you can prove you are not the driver – the same as in UK law you are requested to provide the driver details, sure therr must be something in the data protection act that can prevent you from giving details – the Police & Government hide behind this all the time even on a freedom of information request.
The only anomaly is in UK law. Most EU countries fine the registered keeper of the vehicle, which is provided by the DVLA. It is the UK that requires the name of the driver from the keeper.
How enforceable is this in the UK? I cannot see someone being extradited to face trial unless they are a serial offender
A good reason to get out of the #European Arrest Warrant.
> A good reason to get out of the #European Arrest Warrant.
Yes, we should pull out of the EAW so that UK people can’t get speeding fines, and we can’t get rapists and murderers who are on the continent. #Facepalm
Read my posts above, they have debt collectors in this country working for them.
That anomaly as you put is was fixed in 2012. Keeper ultimately responsible when not naming driver.
That is the same in the UK, if you cannot tell them who was driving the car then the owner gets done.
The owner doesn’t get done, the registered keeper ( who may not be the owner ) gets done.
Question, when we are finally out of the EU Superstate, will the law be rescinded or will it remain on our statute books for ever?
Seeing as how the UK government was in the forefront of speed camera introduction, and the UK government is as rapacious as the European ones or more so, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for this law to be rescinded after Brexit (if it ever happens). Money is usually at the bottom of governments’ actions, and none more so than the UK’s.
Listen, watch or read the news and then you will find out. As a hint to you the government is trying to introduce a bill to retain the laws that we share now with the EU.
Hi
Simple solution
Do not drive or go to Europe spend your money here if you must go abroad fly to a holiday location outside Europe where you do not need to drive 100% money saved authorities who get no tourist revenue will soon get the message even the very best driver can make a genuine error and the automated systems we now see are only there to collect money I can go to my local town center and pay for parking or the close by shopping center that you can park for free at any time I never go to the town thus 100% saved every day We have massive power as consumers just do not go where there is a risk of unfair penalties no one has to go to Europe for a holiday use the power you have and keep the money in your pocket
Best wishes to everyone and have a great (non Europe ) holiday
While working in Germany I was fined three times – not once was I actually speeding, one I remember quite clearly wondering why the car a fair distance ahead of me was braking, checked my speed it was just below the last sign I had passed – and then got flashed. Guess the local knew about the incorrectly set camera or missing sign. The others I was going no faster than the last sign I passed – but impossible to fight them, especially if your “sightseeing” on days off as you won’t know each and every road you drove down.
Under “Avoiding speed camers” you could have added – but you didn’t: “Or, you can obey the law and forget about speed cameras altogether.”
Not as simple as just “obeying the law”. On an unfamiliar road in an unfamiliar country it is not always easy to know what is the correct speed limit , especially when you are driving with extra care because you are on the “wrong” side of the road. Speed limits can change quickly and if you miss a sign you could be caught speeding. Easily done, even in this country.
I love the way these ‘holier than thou’ types trot out the old “if you don’t want a fine, just obey the law” nonsense. Just try that in the town in southern Spain where I am currently located.
There must be several dozen speed limit signs within this town – and few of them make any logical sense. Just one example: there is one piece of road where there is a 30kph limit sign. The very next road sign is an ‘end of 50 kph’ sign. But this is still in the town. So, what is the speed limit there? 30kph? 50kph? 90 kph (the ‘national limit’ for normal roads)? Who knows?
So before you castigate everyone as being a lunatic speeder, perhaps you should reserve some of your opprobrium for stupid councils that don’t post proper speed limit signs!
Urm… the signs obviously tell you the limit…. regardless of them lacking logical sense. Maybe they are put up to catch those who over think things. As motorists, regardless of location, the driver has to take responsibility for their motoring. Failure to obey local laws because “I didn’t know” is not an excuse.
Yes 2 examples in Benidorm, a road that has a 50kph speed limit on the outer limit of the town, no housing just some industrial and should be good for 60/70 kph and what most people drive at and luckily never a speed camera in 7 years, and also coming out of town to the Benidorm By-Pass 40 kph and you reach a roundabout on the fringe of town and the final kilometer , dual carriage way with center resevation, no speed limit sign but still 40 kph that even the police ignore on their way to their police station.
” There is one piece of road where there is a 30kph limit sign. The very next road sign is an ‘end of 50 kph”. In most, if not all, European countries, restriction signs are automatically cancelled at the next junction so, in the case you’ve cited, the limit would have gone back to 50 kph at the next junction. But, of course. as you are living there you would have made certain that you knew that – wouldn’t you?
As for the rest of your post, without knowing the precise location of these signs, it is impossible to comment.
Something else you failed to learn, perhaps?
The French are privatising their speed cameras and the company taking over is the one negotiating with the DVLA.
In Italy they have speed cameras in what look like road side bollards. I find it really difficult to identify when speed limits change in some European countries. You’re expected to figure it out based on whether you are in a town or not, signage is often not clear. Fine when you are a local and been trained to drive in that country, but not so clear for visitors.
Just been on the A75 in France there are several speed cameras all on long downhill sections of rows not seen any on uphill gradients or on level roads, I wonder why??????
“What measures will you be taking to protect yourself from fines when next driving in Europe?”
How about sticking to the speed limits? Nothing in this article suggests that. It’s all about how to avoid the speed cameras.
Techno, it’s so easy to exceed speed limits especially in Europe with 1km = 5/8 of a mile. You are constantly slowing down to keep to the limit risking being hit in the back by the vehicle behind. Vehicles driving slowly are often the cause of more accidents than those slightly exceeding the limits, but fines do not recognise this. Safety is one thing greedy councils is another. Common sense will never put the two together.
1km = 5/8 of a mile. Correct!. But 10km = 6.25 miles so why not make things easy for yourself? Just knock of the zero and multiply by 10. Thus 30 kph = 3 x 10 = 30 mph.
There is a slight error but it works to your advantage as your figure is slightly below the absolutely correct answer: 31.25 mph in this case.
Think you need to re-look at you figures as 30kph = 18.64mph.
YES do this working out in your head while driving on the right hand side of the road looking for hidden speed cameras and waiting for some stupid c**t that has the right to pull out of a side road straight across your bows, very clever.
So the six times table exceeds you mental arithmetic skills?
As for priority from the right, this usually only applies in towns and villages or very rural roads. You do know that the yellow diamond with white border road sign means, I trust.
Towns and villages are automatically 50 kph areas.
You obviously believe in breaking the speed limit or why else would you be concentrating on finding hidden cameras instead of watching the road ahead!
Wrong, if you think that would work then you would get know where . 50 kph = 30 mph
Oops! More haste, less speed!
I was in rather a hurry when I posted that and, of course, it should have been 50 kph.
Sorry, but this is nonsense! “…knock of (sic) the zero and multiply by 10”? Er, you end up with the same thing – as you proved! Perhaps you meant “Knock off the zero and multiply by SIX”. That will give you a ‘safe’ equivalent. 50 kph = 5 x 6 = 30 mph.
To find your mph kph equivalent-look at your speedo!
Not all speedos have kph as well, and many that do have the kph figures in very small letters.
The simplest thing is to work out the approximate mph equivalents for common speed limits in advance and memorise them.
40 kph – 25mph
50 kph – 30 mph
60 kph – 38 mph
70 kph – 43 mph
80 kph – 50 mph
90 kph – 55 mph
100 kph – 62mph
120 kph – 75 mph
140 kph – 87 mph
Type them out and stick it next to your speedo on the dashboard.
If possible mark them on a clear template of your speedo and place it over the speedo.
I don’t know why vehicles with digital speedos don’t provide a switch to read in kph instead of mph. (There is a garage setting, but not one that the owner can access).
Err.. Yes they do! I think the requirement for UK cars to show speeds in MPH & also kM/h dates back to about 1970.
Although there is / was no requirement for LHD European cars to show mph…
You are just seeking to excuse yourself for being a stupid speeder.
You try and find all these speed limit signs in france/towns/villages/country lanes,
seems to me you have never driven over there.
Don’t forget that the black on white sign announcing the beginning of the town or village means that it is a 50 kph limit unless there are any other signs to the contrary.
The same sign with a diagonal red line showing that you are leaving the town/village ends the 50 kph limit and the limit reverts to the national limit for that type of road (single/dual carriageway) in exactly the same way that our white disc with diagonal black bar does in this country.
I’ve driven and ridden tens of thousands of kilometers in France. On reaching a city, town, village or hamlet there will be a place name sign. That’s where the 50kph speed limit starts. Where it ends, the sign will have a line through it.
It is the responsibility of the driver to drive within the law, be appraised of the traffic laws in the respective country. What’s difficult with that?
Most sat navs have this information on their screens and a warning if you exceed. No speed limit on the screen means you are in national speed limit areas.
The speed limits in France are national and should be known to motorists, for example, 50kph in built-up areas unless otherwise indicated. Read up on the rules before you visit. It is your responsibility!
Thank goodness for Brexit. Avoid driving abroad better still holiday out of the corrupt EU, take your money to places that appreciate you, not corrupt EU states.
Thing is once caught they have vays ov making you pay!
Incidentally the PLC company commonly known as the DVLA actually get paid from the corrupt EU, yes for selling your private and personal information. So much for Data protection.
DVLA is government agency, not a PLC.
It’s still as corrupt as a Govt Dept can get. In the past you could only contact them by phone using an extortunate phone Number. Their argument was it saved govt costs, which was total rubish, I’m convinced the real reason was it put money into top brass pockets. Question is how or who will stop this corruption.
So the EU is corrupt because if you break the law and endanger other people through speeding they can now catch you? It:s this sort of Brexitard (non)thinking that has got us into the mess we are in – and sinking deeper.
Stay in the UK and get fined, makes sense to me (facepalm)
if you stick to speed limits, this really is not an issue. simples
Son of a rafic cop: Your clearly not a driver, or if you are your one of those that go so slow that you cause delays and frustrations that contribute to accidents thro your tortoise driving. No one is recommending dangerous driving but what we expect is tolerance and an understanding that everyone can accidentally exceed the limits for a few minutes and should not be subject to massive fines. But we are, and it’s due to council greed, not safety. The technology is there if we want to catch really dangerous drivers, like nose to tail lorry’s and HGV’ s overtaking on hills causing enormous tailbacks, but it’s not a cash cow like fines on cars going 6 or 8 Mph over the limit. So councils are the real culprits going after money rather than the real accident creators.
Speed detection devices are a tax on the motorist. But it’s nice to know it’s one tax you can legally avoid! Plus it’s easy to do so for any driver with any skill and a bit of self control.
What BS. To be a tax it has be compulsory
Not so. Look at the many large corporations who don’t pay tax worth having. Tax is often voluntary.
If you break the law anywhere you should expect to pay the consequences. However it MUST work both ways so if foreign drivers break the law here they must also be caught and face the consequences
Our so called government tried that and failed, as usual.
The only reason why it isn’t working both ways it’s the UK legislation. It has a loop hole. British drivers have had two years “grace” to avoid being affected by the rule. In the meantime, drivers of other 27 EU countries had no grace period. Rather than criticise EU for fining “UK drivers” give a nudge to the Dvla to evolve with times
Then change the UK law, simple
I totally agree
someone with a true fact uk should get there fines back and make the pay a road tax when driving on our roads
Because in a lot of EU countries speed limit signs are not displayed or start at the town name sign, which sometimes can be missed I use my satnav in to show me the speed limit on screen and warn if I exceed it.
I have been driving in Europe since the early 70’s and still do, never had a ticket or been stopped by police.
When I’m leaving Calais or Dunkirk driving at the national signed speed limit I am constantly amazed by many fellow British drivers complete disregard for speed limits or rules of the road.
If you don’t want to get caught speeding here or in the EU learn how to drive within the law take an advanced drivers course and if all else fails try and be considerate to those of us who are driving responsibly.
DO NOT TRUST YOUR SATNAV TO TELL YOU THE SPEED LIMIT, even when speed cameras have been updated just before to set off on your travels, they are often wrong.
Only a matter of time before us motorists get revenge ., already talks of driving without number plates every Wednesday ., il gladly join in ., are we all really boy racers ., everyone on my speed awareness course older people ., including one old woman ., coffin dodger ., it’s a tax
I agree – a tax on the unwary. My mother-in-law, you know the one, who arranges art exhibitions and choral events – caught out by speed trap that did not match the road conditions. Money maker.
that’s clever, remove number plate to avoid speeding and get fine for driving vehicle without number plates…. clever, why hasn’t anyone thought of that before.
What we all need are James Bond style rotating number plates!
Remove (steal) number plate from similar car fit to your vehicle, it’s being done.
Simple solution, don’t speed, less fines, less injury, less deaths, everyone is a winner.
I was a BOY RACER driving my pimped up Saxo Westcoast, I went to court for doing 60 MPH in a 30 zone, I passed my driving test 4 months before & the judge said I was going to get a years driving ban but because Im disabled as I can’t walk far I paid £250 & had 4 points on my driving licence, after court I said to the lawyer if I ever speed again take my driving licence away as I want to punish myself for a stupid act, I now have a wonderful 22 month old daughter & speeding is stupid & I hope those who speed get caught
It is wrong for our drivers to be penalised while foreign drivers here get off. What is good for the goose is good for the gander, we should demand equal justice on this issue.
this is what I have been saying for years, they had to pay when they had the barriers on the Thames crossing but now they are gone the EU drivers don’t bother and the EU are not bothered to help us, an old saying, once an enemy always an enemy even if they pretend they are not, it is common knowledge the Froggies hate us and it got worse after we sank their navy in WW2 after they would not surrender to our navy.
You are blaming the French for the fact that our government will give our details to them, but their government won’t give their details to us? If the boot were on the other foot you would be saying that it is the responsibility of government to protect their citizens and the French were being betrayed by their government…
The dartford tolls are paid to a French company who bought the rights to collect them once the investment in the tunnels & bridge had been covered.
A French company and the Kent County Council.
Something to sort out with Brexit. Europe loses access to DVLA, unless they agree that their drivers pay our fines.
It’s clear cut, speeding is against the law. And when in a different we are bound by the laws of that country. What I am interested to know is will the DVLA still supply details of a vehicle’s owner after Brexit? It should stop after we leave the EU…especially as this exchange of details is not a two-way street. (Motorists should obey the speed limits in two-way streets as well.)
If the article is entirely accurate, and the registered owner is the one who is fined, then surely the answer (if you’re incapable of either obeying the law or accepting a punishment if you get caught breaking it) is to hire a car – in which case Avis or Hertz or whoever gets saddled with the fine. Although I’m sure there will be some way they can reclaim it from you if that is the case.
Don’t worry about hire car companies claiming these fines from you, they will retain your payment details so can grab the fine monies along with a service charge! (not from personal experience)
Hire companies are exempt explicitly, they hand over your details to the shark.
If you get a fine driving an Europcar rental, the office will charge it to the credit card you will have used when booking /returning the car, even after several weeks. I had that situation with my credit card becoming out of date the following month after a “flash” and I was made to pay after Europcar had arranged money to be taken from my new card. I am not sure how this was actually done but done it was.
So, wouldn’t a normal UK sat nav with Europe mapping pick up hidden cameras?
If not an up to date Satnav and in France be sure that French camera warning is disabled. Police there can check that this is the case. If not, you’ll be prosecuted.
My TomTom sat nav automatically disables the speed camera warnings when driving in countries where it is not legal.
Hit lawbreakers hard not just with a paltry fine that is handed out in this country
the new speeding fines will do just that. however the maximum fine is capped which is great for the rich fast car owners.
Simple answer, DON’T SPEED, not rocket science is it
The sooner the better were out of the EU and then the government has said it will resind this agreement allowing foreign governments to access drivers details
You really believe this? The fact is that what has happened is that the UK government has said to the rest of Europe that they can chase our drivers for fines and they will help them. This wasn’t imposed by the EU; if it was **everybody in the EU would be in the same boat**.
Some people really are far too keen to blame the EU for things that, with a little thought, they would see were the fault our our government. It’s 90% of the reason for Brexit.
It’s not a great article, it’s poorly written and factually incorrect. It’s not a ‘new fine’ and it’s not the case the UK driver must ‘have a chance to see the camera’.
Sloppy journalism purporting to be fact.
Just drive within the law, problem solved.
Drives me mad when people complain about speed cameras. Top top: Don’t speed!
You can always try driving legally. It really is an option and you don’t get fined for it.
I did a house swap with an Australian lady, this included use of my car. However she was caught speeeding. I refused to pay the fine and gave them her address in Australia. They followed it up and she had to pay. That was at least 4 years ago
Some people are obsessed with ‘law breaking’ and ‘suffering the consequences’. Most traffic laws, like speeding, have very little to do with safety but have everything to do with enforcement. When a speed limit is set, it is not set for what is safe on that road but is an arbitrary limit that takes out the judgment or commonsense aspects of an enforcing police officer (or camera). Many people would be dangerous driving at any speed. Almost all competent drivers are able to decide what speed is safe for a road and drive accordingly. Hiding cameras does not deter speeding which is what they should be for, and for punishing those that ignore them. This is why all hidden devices and mobile units should be replaced with fixed, or average, cameras in DANGEROUS spots only! As for Europe, make sure you don’t clean all your number plate!! I can assure you European countries won’t pursue fines where they have to make a real effort to id the vehicle. Furthermore, as people are only in the country for a short space of time, the likelihood they will be detected is low.
Don’t speed or infringe other traffic rules and you don’t need to worry! Speeding is totally unnecessary and dangerous, not just to yourself, but other, perhaps less experienced drivers around you.
“Speed cameras here in the UK have to be installed under specific circumstances. The driver must have a chance to see the camera and take action on their speed accordingly” more made up stuff about Uk speed camera use I see! The specific circumstances and conspicuity VOLUNTARY arrangements went out in 2012.
How about the mobile ones? The new mobile radar devices can detect speed and record number plates at up to 2 miles…. I bet the average motorist can’t see a camera 2 miles away. And yes I know the law states the camera must be within 1 mile of a sign – would the average motorist be able to see a camera at 1 mile?
I trust that this imbalance will close once we leave the EU?
I’m wandering how the foreign governments will enforce these fines if we simply ignore them. Especially in 18 months time when we are no longer part of the EU.
This should be a two way street.. Are the British Authorities not capable of doing the same thing and that should include Road Tax and Insurance checks, they use number-plate recognition here, what system do they use.
The last time I was fined in France it was pay on the spot and I could not move until the money was paid.
In France where you see a sign warning you of speed cameras, the camera will be positioned within one kilometre of the sign.
I will be taking the same measures as I take in the UK. I will do my utmost to drive within the law and keep myself up to date with changes to the law. It’s not rocket science. If I have failed to keep myself informed or made a mistake, however good my intentions, it’s still my responsibility and I have to accept the consequences. What is with all this whining? If you want to do 100mph+ use the Eurostar!
The thing that bothers me is my car does not show kph only mph and its built in Germany for a British named French owed company, a thing the article missed is that the french don’t show a 50 kph /30 mph limit as we do, they say the town village name sign is the 50 kph sign not where the buildings start
It’s just typical. U.K. drivers singled out when we do not have the same requirement. It should be the same for all Eorupean wide.
Isn’t it always the way that an article like this appears the same day you have had a problem! I have just had to pay €10 after receiving a letter today from Germany for traveling at 70kph on a 60kph autobahn near Koblenz. It must have cost more than that to pursue me. I was generally very careful to abide by all the limits I saw…..obviously I missed this one to my cost.
The Europeans can be very sneaky with cameras. We should be treating foreign drivers as we are treated.
It’s illegal in France to have a device warning you of speed cameras in the area. You need to have it disabled on your satnav and other devices you might use. If caught ….you’ll pay a fine.
Instead of this rather biased article, it might have been better to point out that since April 2017, all vehicles in some big French towns must have a CritAir certificate, even foreign cars, in Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Toulouse, …
Look for more info on the web or on the ETA website.