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Contesting French speeding ticket?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I got a speeding ticket for going at 80 kmph in a 70 kmph zone on the A9. I remember the section, it is 4 lanes reduced to 2 very narrow ones for road works, and with the trucks on the inside lane one side it was a bit hairy, I probably went at 80 to get past them into a safer space on the road, has anyone ever contested a ticket successfully ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@mrvinegar, why would you contest it if you admit to driving at 80 through a 70 zone?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@mrvinegar, You could always have slowed down to clear the perceived danger. Pay up. move on.
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Why bother contesting it? Sounds like they got you bang to rights me ol' son!
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@mrvinegar, you say "
mrvinegar wrote:
I........................ticket for going at 80 kmph in a 70 kmph......................................I remember the section..............................................I probably went at 80


On what grounds are you thinking you might contest it as it looks to me as if you're admitting you went at 80kph in a 70kph limit, unfortunately M Le Gendarme spotted you!
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Because continuing at 70 might have meant a collision with a truck who was crossing into my lane!

Looking at www.antai.gouv.fr and it seems contesting the fine entails paying a "deposit" and submitting an appeal...
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@mrvinegar, would you have avoided the potential collision if you braked?

The only way to avoid speeding fines is to not speed. I'm not saying don't speed, just accept that from time to time you will get caught! It's in France and therefore shouldn't put points on your UK license.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
is it not only something like 40 euro if you pay in 30 days! why bother for that sum
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gixxerniknik wrote:
@mrvinegar, would you have avoided the potential collision if you braked?

The only way to avoid speeding fines is to not speed. I'm not saying don't speed, just accept that from time to time you will get caught! It's in France and therefore shouldn't put points on your UK license.


Braking may have meant getting rear ended by the guy behind me... ( I agree regarding speeding )
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@mrvinegar, What if your appeal is refused...would the fine be greater? I'd pay up, but I wish you all the luck in the world.
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Bob or No hope of getting that overturned. Pay up, move on however aggrieved or unlucky you feel.

Courts don’t let you offf for bad luck, or “it felt safer not to obey the law”
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No hope whatsoever. Give up. Or risk worse.
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What’s worse?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Dangerous driving. Self-confessedly "hairy" overtaking rather than slowing down, leaving space to accommodate movement of vehicles in front and making it far less likely that someone driving equally badly crashes into the back of you.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I'd say you were lucky! wink
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Can the court up the charges?
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mrvinegar wrote:
gixxerniknik wrote:
@mrvinegar, would you have avoided the potential collision if you braked?

The only way to avoid speeding fines is to not speed. I'm not saying don't speed, just accept that from time to time you will get caught! It's in France and therefore shouldn't put points on your UK license.


Braking may have meant getting rear ended by the guy behind me... ( I agree regarding speeding )


If somebody rammed you from behind, they didn't keep their distance - They would be responsible, and not you.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@pam_w Hairy overtaking no, hairy situation yes, due to a truck crossing into my lane

@danishrider Yeah I'd prefer to be contesting a speeding ticket rather than dealing with a rear ending (ooer missus).

Anyway I'm gonna pay it..
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mrvinegar wrote:
@pam_w Hairy overtaking no, hairy situation yes, due to a truck crossing into my lane

@danishrider Yeah I'd prefer to be contesting a speeding ticket rather than dealing with a rear ending (ooer missus).

Anyway I'm gonna pay it..


I would too Happy I am just clarifying they legal aspect of braking and getting hit Happy
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Just don't pay. They'll never get you before brexit Very Happy
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@mrvinegar, Their website makes it really easy to pay - and it's in English (and other languages) as well Embarassed
Out of interest were you in a hire car or a UK reg plate car?
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boredsurfin wrote:
@mrvinegar
Out of interest were you in a hire car or a UK reg plate car?


Neither!

Before anyone else wades in

1. I get it, speeding is bad, I tell people the same when they go over the limit
2. Yes I heard you, it's bad and it's illegal, limits are there for a reason, I agree
3. Unless you were in the car, your reading of the situation doesn't really matter, my question was : "has anyone contested a speeding ticket"
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

my question was : "has anyone contested a speeding ticket"

That's how I read the question too.

But I don't have the answer. In fact, I was interested in what the answer maybe. @pam w is the only one who touched remotely on that, by hinting it could be worse. But she hasn't elaborated on the detail fully.
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The missus contested some speeding fines for the husband of a friend. I'll have to ask her the details but there were 4 fines which would have led to a driving ban and she contested the 4 fines on legal technicalities: again I don't remember the details but things like the ticket being incorrectly completed... that kind of thing. The person was a commercial traveler and needed to keep his license although I agree with the sentiment that if he'd done the crime he should accept the fine.

She won 2 lost 2. On the two she lost new legislation was applied retroactively (which is illegal). She could have contested and probably won the other two but that would have required a lawyer in the Paris jurisdiction to submit the appeal to the courts there, which is prohibitively expensive.

In your case I'm not sure what your grounds are, but I'm not a lawyer Happy. They can't throw new charges at you but if they haven't levied the maximum penalty already they can always increase that or charge you extra court costs.
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I was reading between the lines - I have no idea what happened to persuade the OP that it was less "hairy" to accelerate and break the speed limit rather than drop back, leave a sensible space, and allow for the kind of vehicle movements which can be expected where lanes are being reduced so dramatically. Unless he tells us, we're all speculating. Not unknown on Snowheads!

As everyone has commented, there seems no case for trying to contest this speeding ticket. My thought is that the driving in question sounds so dodgy that he was lucky to get out of the "hairy" situation with a small fine, rather than a collision and/or a more serious charge.

The single simplest thing drivers can do to improve road safety is to leave more space between themselves and the vehicle in front. The need for heightened anticipation of erratic lane changes, in the sort of situation described by the OP, makes keeping your distance even more important.
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abc wrote:
Can the court up the charges?


It's France so likely they could do whatever they want!!

@mrvinegar, don't take it to heart, I suspect that most if they're on the 5/600 mile drive to the Alps may have strayed over the posted speed limit once or twice and may have even been caught Embarassed
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mrvinegar wrote:
boredsurfin wrote:
@mrvinegar
Out of interest were you in a hire car or a UK reg plate car?


Neither!

Before anyone else wades in

1. I get it, speeding is bad, I tell people the same when they go over the limit
2. Yes I heard you, it's bad and it's illegal, limits are there for a reason, I agree
3. Unless you were in the car, your reading of the situation doesn't really matter, my question was : "has anyone contested a speeding ticket"

I get tons of speeding tickets, and have even been banned driving i Germany for a year - but i know that i do that, and then pay the fine Happy
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pam w wrote:
I was reading between the lines - I have no idea what happened to persuade the OP that it was less "hairy" to accelerate and break the speed limit rather than drop back, leave a sensible space, and allow for the kind of vehicle movements which can be expected where lanes are being reduced so dramatically. Unless he tells us, we're all speculating. Not unknown on Snowheads!

As everyone has commented, there seems no case for trying to contest this speeding ticket. My thought is that the driving in question sounds so dodgy that he was lucky to get out of the "hairy" situation with a small fine, rather than a collision and/or a more serious charge.

The single simplest thing drivers can do to improve road safety is to leave more space between themselves and the vehicle in front. The need for heightened anticipation of erratic lane changes, in the sort of situation described by the OP, makes keeping your distance even more important.


This sermon is great but nothing to do with the question! It might be better posted in a driving forum.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I was under the impression that the French authorities have no ability to follow up speeding tickets of UK drivers once they are out the country? I heard that they were enlisting the services of UK based debt collection agencies to then chase up non-payers?

I may be (and am probably) mistaken.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

This sermon is great but nothing to do with the question!

The sermon has everything to do with the question. You contended that because your speeding was the safest way out of the "hairy" situation in which you found yourself, there were grounds for contesting the ticket. You haven't explained yet why that was the case, which means that the first few responses to your question (you admit you were speeding, so suck it up) are the logical ones. If you care to rehearse here your detailed argument, we will be in a better position to judge whether our reactions were wrong, and that you have a credible case to make.

The evidence that I am wrong is the same as the case you would make to the French authorities. So drafting it out here wouldn't be a waste of time. Twisted Evil
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 Poster: A snowHead
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Doesn’t speed limit in France drop by 50% in roadworks? Or something like that ?
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Doesn’t speed limit in France drop by 50% in roadworks? Or something like that ?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@mrvinegar, in answer to your question, no I have never contested a speeding fine in the UK or abroad. I have had them in Australia and Austria as well as one in the UK. TBH I don't think it is worth the hassle and lost sleep trying to contest them. In reality they are a deterrent so that next time we all slow down and follow the speed limit.
I have been on the other end of driving offences and when the Police asked if I wanted the other party prosecuted or sent for re-training I opted for the later. A lot of Celebs opt to contest speeding charges and it really shows their values for what they are.....!
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gixxerniknik wrote:
@mrvinegar, would you have avoided the potential collision if you braked?

...


Can we safely assume that you have a blue and white mode of transport with two wheels and you have enough common sense to avoid being killed by making the decision to go faster? wink
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Post Brexit you may not be let into ski ever again. Crims may not be let in. Do you really want to be barred from all that future Blanc stuff? Puzzled
Think of it as an investment Toofy Grin
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The right reverend @pam w. Toofy Grin Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
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@Thornyhill,
Quote:

Can we safely assume that you have a blue and white mode of transport ...


A fair assumption based on my username, but totally false I'm afraid!
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@suec, post Brexit we may not be sharing any intelligence info so think you can do what you like Toofy Grin
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Was it in a hire car? If not then chuck it in the bin and forget about it or pay the €40 and forget about it - its your shout but doing 80 in a 70 is speeding and you won't get let off.
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