Help - photo radar ticket near Rouen

Hello,

I rented a car with Hertz and drove from CDG to Normandy earlier this month. Near Rouen I got "flashed" by some bright lights that I assume was a photo radar while driving on A13...

Do you have those in France?

Does anyone know how/when they would send me the ticket and collect payment?

Thank for any info.

 

Hello,

We have around 2000 automatic speed radars in France... Too much !
They flash as soon as you reach the maximum allowed speed + 5% tolerance.
For example: on a motorway limited at 130 km/h, they flash if you are faster than 136 km/h .
If you are very lucky, the photo may be blurred.
More likely, Hertz will receive the ticket within 1 week to 2 months. Then it's up to Hertz to forward to you the ticket.

Next time I would suggest to use Waze: it will warn you when you get close to an automatic radar.

 

Hello
Normally Hertz is the owner of the car, so they will recieved the fine directly.
Afther they will send you by letter the information,
You will have a short date to realize the payment.
Now concerning your license points, some country have made a deal. They intercominicate the informations, points, fine etc...so no escape.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Ask for the pic, it' would be a nice souvenir !

 

Hertz will probaby just charge your credit card for the fine.

Marcel Massini

 

And for the points ?

Law is going harder down there, including for foreigners.

 

My family rent through Europcar. When flashed(,five times now) They send the name/address of the renter to the authorities,and you receive the papers back at base. You have 40 days to pay the reduced amount ,40 euros,if you fail to do this it is 90e. It is best to pay up if a regular visitor to the country.

 

As we use to say down there "qui paye ses dettes s'enrichit".

 

I rent cars often from Hertz at CDG. Despite using Coyote etc., I get flashed at least once a year.

The French authorities will send Hertz and inquiry about the driver/renter. Hertz will give them the information about me and as an american driver the French authorities won't even bother to do anything. No point, no fine, nothing.

Hertz OTOH will charge a €20 administrative fee on my credit card (that is often how I realize I've been flashed).

 

Thanks. That's what has happened to me thus far. A 20 euro fee was charged to my card, but no fine yet...

 

U Lucky Man !

 

Well, I don't have your luck. I just got a notice of infraction, payment form and "contest the infraction" form (my loose translations from french). The fines escalate over time if not paid. But, I only now received the letters today. And, of course, its well past the deadlines and now a 180 Euro fine (if I can figure out how to pay on this "all french" form they have sent me). Ugh. I think I won't pay it if they don't somehow reduce it back to the 45 Euro if paid in 60 days amount (I only got the letter today, Sept 18 and the infraction was on June 5, so ~103 days).

What to do...

 

Update: I went on the site. So...the fine was supposed to be 45. But, it escalates to 68 euro after 60 days and to 180 euro after 90 days. I'm at ~103 days...

BUT...for whatever reason they started counting the days on June 26 (not June 5 when the infraction occurred). So, they only wanted 68 euro for the fine (today being 85 days since then).

Sigh...so the "extra" 23 euro was small enough that I decided to go ahead and pay, even though I paid it promptly the day I got the darn letter. Good thing I got the letter today and not in 6 more days...

I presume the French government - like most - needs the money...

C'est la vie

 

Don't pay.

No risk for you.

 

Found this as I wanted to rant about some French vehicle new laws.
First as an American it is up to you to decide to pay the fine. I personally don't pay. Radars are not providing a fair way to contest as an american citizen and no due process. Thoses who say you have to pay as a non EU citizen are wrong. I know.
I tried hard this summer to at least make a best effort to respect the limits but frankly it is impossible. The speed was reduced and enforced the day I arrived. After the airport exit, they were no less than 8 hidden white vans in the side of nice long streches for 80km/h where you could go 130 safely.
Then the signs still indicate 90km/h and change very frequently. After a few hours you dont know what speed you are supposed to drive at, so I gave up...
It is clear that speed enforcement in France is purely a money making machine.

To prove the point, France is now serious about a new "Peage Urbain" to enter towns. In a normal country you would think they entice people with discount on mass transportation, but no. France loves cashing out from motorists. Soon it will be cyclists as they are now working at building a cycle database. Formally it is to fight bicycle theft! lol... After the recent speed limit take down, the proliferation of radars, (even privatized!), the day on or off for even/odd licence plates, the closing of some avenues in Paris and other towns here come the "peage urbain. Cheap first a about $3 to $7 a pop, but watch the cost raise!

I suspect in 5 to 10 years there will be no exotics on the roads on France and may be most Europe. All you gonna have are clinical museum with shinny cars. The laws there are not fought and if things are the same as a few decades ago, the average people loath exotic owners.
We have it so nice here in the USA (may be except CA?). People appreciate the cars, cops are not that agressive and more curious from my experience, and generally we are not hit with stupid surtaxes and mandated inspections. US drivers should appreciate what they enjoy and keept that way!

 

Right, they steal the money here. And yes, I hope US drivers appreciate what they have. Enjoy your cars !

 

Norway is the worst. 70-150 % import tax. 10 dollar tollroad every time you drive into Oslo. 350 dollar tax every year. etc. 300-1000 dollar every time the car changes owner. I just bought a 1991 Honda Legend for 1.300 Euro in sweden and imported ti to Norway and by the time it had Norwegian plates, the total was 3.500 Euro. On a car nearly 30 years old which is when they become tax free, except for the 25% VAT.... I HATE it.

 

Could be even worse, like in Switzerland and here in Finland. Fines are hefty, if you speed let's say +30km/h over limit you get X amount of "day fines", the amount of a day is calculated from your yearly income that they will get from the tax office. If your previous year happened to be a good, like big six figure or seven, you may end up paying six figure fine.
In Switzerland if you do it big time they will give you a huge fine, confiscate your car and end up to do time in jail. Famous snowboarder got +100k fine ,lost he's Gallardo and got 6 months time for doing +200km/h in Switzerland.

 

This is completly insane! looks like murderers and other hardcore criminals are better off than speeders in these countries. I heard about Switzerland being nasty for cars. I guess the next step for these well thinking euro countries is to mount heat seeking missiles on their new 10 ft or so radars.

 

I was flashed in Italy in a rental car, Hertz contacted me to tell me, I asked them what to do and they said wait for the local authority to contact you.
That was about a year ago and no word since.

Waze is great for warning of fixed cameras.

 

Well may be as a non EU member soon you may be outside of the EU ticket racket as I do.
France is a mess when it comes to speed limits. changes every mile or so. I gave up following it a while back going there.
I am not a EU citizen. Tickets would be charged via rental company thru your credit card. I use a temp credit card paying my rental which i cancel when flying back after the rental charge goes thru.
I dont bother anymore and my safety is only up to me. The rest gets the middle finger

 

In Finland, 116k€ for doing 75km/h in 50km/h limit, that's 15 miles over limit.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/in-finland-speeding-tickets-are-linked-to-your-income/

And now it seems we have new world record.

A Swedish motorist caught driving at 290km/h (180mph) in Switzerland could be given a world-record speeding fine of SFr1.08m ($1m; £656,000), prosecutors say.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-10960230

He must have known the local draconian laws so
I just wonder why didn't drive to Germany to do those speeds,can't be more than hour away and there it is legal.

 

That's a NINE year old story. Very old news.

We had a Rolls driver in Switzerland a few months ago who was forced to pay more than 300 Grand for speeding. Fine based on his income.

Marcel Massini

 

Easiest way, is when back in your country, call the bank and tell them you have misplaced the credit card.
New card, no way to collect, and do not worry, you will not remain on anyone's computer.

Regards, Alberto