Speeding.......(not me)

[Christopher]

Not me, before anyone thinks about telling me how irresponsible I have been, but a friend......

French chap, living over here, still on his French licence.

Caught doing 70 in a 50 limit, in a company pool car.

What is the likely outcome? 

I am thinking it could be up to 6 points and hefty fine, but also getting his knuckles rapped for not changing to a UK licence (he has been here for about 5 years now).

[JDS]

No requirement to change to a UK licence if yours is valid and issued in an EU country, indeed, I drive in the UK on my French licence ;-) Non-EU licences should be exchanged (or a UK test taken, depending on where licence issued, after 12 months in the UK).

If points are deemed appropriate they could force him to change to a UK licence (and then apply the points) - they sometimes do this in France for those of us Brits that drive on a UK licence but live there (like Mrs JDS) but in our experiance we just get a fine and avoid the points .....

[termietermite]

I concur with JDS but I think with 6 points he will probably have to change his license.  I agree we do tend to get away with the odd point, but not 6.  At that level a forced change is likely, I reckon.

[Christopher]

Hmmm, thanks for that.

He will just have to wait and see what they finally try to prosecute for (so far, the company have supplied his name and address, and now he waits for the formal papers to arrive).

[termietermite]

He certainly will not get done for not having changed his license up until now - he is not obliged to do so.  If anybody tries to tell him otherwise, come back to me and I will point him in the direction of the appropriate EU statute.

[smokie]

There is a web site which is often recommended for speeding stuff - www.pepipoo.com - not sure if they would have help on this one though.

[Leftie]

Termie,  you are a mine of information. Just thankfull that you are recovering and you are fully mentally active.

[termietermite]

 I only know this because it also applies to me - I drive quite legally here on my UK license.  However, there exits - as no doubt you can imagine - the odd gendarme who doesn't know this.  Hence I drive around with a copy of the legislation - in French - in the wallet  with my license.  Not that I ever break the speed limit, you understand.....

I'll be at LMS testing at the circuit at the end of the month - even if Mr T has to push me!  Mending slowly - the brain is, though, much the same as it was before the shunt.

[Robbo SPS]

Nearly right.

If you are given points, you would be given a DVLA driver number. OF you then acrue 12 on that number, the same hapens.

At no point do you need to change. you full eu based license takes primacy.

70 in a 50... Is it a legally  enforced area.  What stopped you, how, with what. Were the signs visable ?

How far do you push it ?

Have you been reported, or just NIP'd ? 

I'd suggest that you take the 3 points if they are offered.

I dont think its a 6 pointer, but a magistrate could give you this.

Hope it helps.

[Christopher]

Nearly right.

If you are given points, you would be given a DVLA driver number. OF you then acrue 12 on that number, the same hapens.

At no point do you need to change. you full eu based license takes primacy.

70 in a 50... Is it a legally  enforced area.  What stopped you, how, with what. Were the signs visable ?

How far do you push it ?

Have you been reported, or just NIP'd ? 

I'd suggest that you take the 3 points if they are offered.

I dont think its a 6 pointer, but a magistrate could give you this.

Hope it helps.

The chap in question was caught doing 70 in a 50 stretch of dual carriageway. The A320 I think, leading onto junction 11 of the M25.

It was a van parked in the lay-by. Plenty of signs, so no excuse really.

I assume he is waiting for the NIP now, as the company have supplied driver details to the authorities.

[lynxd67]

There's the point though - he has a french licence so they can't give him points. Same happens here in France on an english licence. They demand a fine and you pay, but your licence is still pristine. Of course, I wouldn't recommend to the chap (oh no!) that he exchanges his french licence for an english one, then goes home and applies for a duplicate french licence saying he's lost his. Then uses the french one in the UK and the english one in france. That just wouldn't be on at all now, would it?

[Christopher]

There's the point though - he has a french licence so they can't give him points. Same happens here in France on an english licence. They demand a fine and you pay, but your licence is still pristine. Of course, I wouldn't recommend to the chap (oh no!) that he exchanges his french licence for an english one, then goes home and applies for a duplicate french licence saying he's lost his. Then uses the french one in the UK and the english one in france. That just wouldn't be on at all now, would it?

Now that sounds like a cunning plan.........

[termietermite]

A cunning plan that only works (assuming your conscience allows of course) if you have an address in the other country.  If you lose a license and you live abroad, you can only get a confirmation from the DVLA to say you are entitled to a license. You can only get a replacement in your country of residence.  Not much use to those who have cut all ties with their former home.  Hence if you get points and the police insist on adding them to your license (which they can do) then you must change it. 

Anyway, Christopher, in so far as your friend is concerned, he'll just have to wait and see what happens, he may get away with it.  But I know directly of at least two people who got more than 2 points and had to change.

[Leftie]

Last year on his way to LM, my pal's  Alfa blew its engine. So he hired whilst his was transported back to the UK.

He got clobbered for speeding. £750 and his lisense conviscated for one month!

[Kpy]

A cunning plan that only works (assuming your conscience allows of course) if you have an address in the other country.  If you lose a license and you live abroad, you can only get a confirmation from the DVLA to say you are entitled to a license. You can only get a replacement in your country of residence.  Not much use to those who have cut all ties with their former home.  Hence if you get points and the police insist on adding them to your license (which they can do) then you must change it. 

Anyway, Christopher, in so far as your friend is concerned, he'll just have to wait and see what happens, he may get away with it.  But I know directly of at least two people who got more than 2 points and had to change.

Deb - Robbo is quite correct. There is no provision in English law to compel anyone with a licence issued by an EU state to change to a UK licence, even if they commit an offence. The reverse is not true in France, as you know.
An English court can, however, bar a French or other national from driving in the UK for any period open to it under the law.