Motoring Discussion > New low... Legal Questions
Thread Author: .... Replies: 12
View Threaded 

 Sat 12 Mar 11 12:45 
 New low... - ....
...this is embarrassing.

Got a ticket in the post this morning. Penalty notice from the Netherlands for being...wait for it...3mph over the speed limit on a motorway !
Clocked at 125kph, speed limit in the Netherlands is 120kph.

The cost? 29€ for 5kph.

I knew the European economy was in the pan but didn't realise it required this level of enforcement to make the books balance.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 14:07 
 New low... - Ian (Cape Town)
Did the crime, pay the fine.

BUT send them a registred letter with the payment in scottish fivers!
Reply to this message | Report message
      1  
 Sat 12 Mar 11 14:16 
 New low... - ....
I'm not disputing it Ian. The fine will be paid. What use a load of Scottish fivers, and where I'll get hold of them in Germany, is lost on me though.

More of a warning. Where the Dutch go, the UK authorities tend to follow - think Gatso.

I've just had a chat with my neighbour, he was caught 20kph over the limit on a motorway in Belgium and got a demand for 170€. It would appear the low countries are stepping up the pressure on motorists. I have noticed the last few summers speed cameras popping up on the E40 from the coast to Brussels to be taken down in the late autumn.
Last edited by: gmac on Sat 12 Mar 11 at 14:17
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 14:20 
 New low... - Ian (Cape Town)
>> I'm not disputing it Ian. The fine will be paid. What use a load of
>> Scottish fivers, and where I'll get hold of them in Germany, is lost on me
>> though.

Scottish fivers are pigs to get rid of... so they'll probably pay more in bank fees than the fine is worth.
But I'll agree, the nitpicking over minor PERCENTAGES of speed differentials is getting silly. At least here we still have a 10km/h cushion between limit and speed, so 69, 89, 109 and 129 will see you NOT sent a little letter and pic...
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 14:34 
 New low... - ....
>> Scottish fivers are pigs to get rid of... so they'll probably pay more in bank
>> fees than the fine is worth.
>>
You're not going to believe this.
I've looked at the letter again and the money is to be paid into an RBS account ! The Dutch Ministry of Justice banks with the Royal Bank of Scotland. They saw you coming Ian :-)

I bet ABN AMRO love that !
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 14:08 
 New low... - Skoda
Wow. I'd have thought that would have been borderline for the accuracy of the machines.

Driving around Amsterdam on the ring road, is it the A4 or is that the road north? Can't remember. The tom-tom was going nuts every 50 yards - speed camera alert, 80km/h. Hidden gantry cameras.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 14:43 
 New low... - Dwight Van Driver
You may be interested in this gmac

www.tiny url.com/65y3pq

As far as UK is concerned this has yet to arrive but I understand there is an agreement between Germany and Netherland. The post suggests that you got this whilst in Germany?
Because there is no agreement as yet in UK there is the argument that it caoule be ignored witgh a possible cobnsequesntce that your details/vehicle recorded in Netgherlands and if comning to the notice of the authorities dealt with (more severly)
dvd
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 14:49 
 New low... - Zero
which raises an interesting dilema.

Say, I travel to Holland, and break the speed limit and get flashed. (all likely - done it in the past)

1/ Will I get a request for payment delivered to my home in England (havent in the past)
2/ If I decline to pay it, will I get get arrested in the Netherlands? (havent yet)
3/ If I sell the car will some poor unfortunate get nabbed if he travels to Holland?
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 16:08 
 New low... - BiggerBadderDave
"3/ If I sell the car will some poor unfortunate get nabbed if he travels to Holland?"

There's a lot to be said for owning your own plate and moving it from car to car isn't there? I think they do in Poland - until you relocate to another city, then you need a new plate specific to that city.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 14:56 
 New low... - ....
Thanks for that dvd but I was nabbed driving our German registered car.
There is a reciprocal agreement between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands which is how they tracked me down.
For the sake of 29€ and no points I'm not going to waste any time on it.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 16:41 
 New low... - hobby
Do their cameras have any built in discretion (i.e. the 10% ours have)? As I'm over there in June I'll be careful!!
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 17:07 
 New low... - ....
My own experience is the discretion is less than 5kph. I drive to a GPS indicated speed, I always do, this time I got caught so the only conclusion I can draw is that they are tightening up on the speed limits.
Last edited by: gmac on Sat 12 Mar 11 at 17:08
Reply to this message | Report message
       
 Sat 12 Mar 11 19:35 
 New low... - Auntie Lockbrakes
FYI I believe that France & Germany also have a reciprocal agreement in place. Presumably not long before the British authorities come to the party as well?

The NZ speed limit on open roads is 100km/h. Most folks feel safe at 105-110, keeping that 10% margin in mind. But over Xmas drivers doing 105km/h were being pulled over and warned in a "zero tolerance" speed crackdown....
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts