...Got a speeding ticket in Spain...
Oct 22nd, 2014, 06:48 PM
#24
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Yes, the website's certificate is far out of date. Possibly a factor of budget restrictions or some other cause. Personally, I would forget about it and let one of those self-righteous, unforgiving soles take care of it for you.
Oct 22nd, 2014, 07:37 PM
#26
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I don't particularly feel obligated to pay. I'm not ashamed of my sin or feel like a criminal. Those speed limit signs could have been placed at double the distance, easy... I'm sure the locals do know exactly at what spot to adjust their speed. But I'm willing to spend another 50 Euros into this wonderful trip we had, as long as I can trust that site with my CC number... So the question here is -- again -- pure practical, forget morals, forget legalities, how safe I should feel next time (which in our case is a matter of years, not months) landing again in Europe...
Oct 22nd, 2014, 07:37 PM
#27
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I got a parking ticket in Gent, earlier this year, and the owner of the B & B Snooz Inn first tried to quash it and then paid it and I sent him the cash, although he never requested it. It is also a spectacular place to stay and consistently gets high ratings on all the travel sites.
When we first went to Spain, Franco was still alive and the Guardia Civil were as cruel and brutish as any police force. Maybe they are in charge of parking tickets today.
When we first went to Spain, Franco was still alive and the Guardia Civil were as cruel and brutish as any police force. Maybe they are in charge of parking tickets today.
Oct 22nd, 2014, 09:00 PM
#28
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>When we first went to Spain, Franco was still alive and the Guardia Civil were as cruel and brutish as any police force. Maybe they are in charge of parking tickets today.<
How the world, and Spain, have changed since the final days of Generalissimo Francisco Franco (still dead) - 1975.
How the world, and Spain, have changed since the final days of Generalissimo Francisco Franco (still dead) - 1975.
Oct 23rd, 2014, 12:00 AM
#29
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Some corrections/additional information to the posts above:
One can pay one line a fine, even if you are not a Spanish resident.
Read the article from TA it is informative helps a lot.
Speed camera locations are well known. There is a DGT (Spanish government department) website which gives the locations.
http://www.dgt.es/es/el-trafico/control-de-velocidad/
The Spanish are very kind and do give warnings on fixed radar locations. This photo.
http://www.autopista.es/media/cache/...571195e961.jpg
The first one warns of a black spot area where a lot of accidents occur. The second one gives a warning of the radar. This is the one to watch out for.
The problem is you can get mobile detectors and now they use helicopters too.
All GPS come with radar warnings and these can be updated plus have sites of frequencies used mobile radar locations if you do a webs search for POIs.
You can also download apps for your phone which will give you locations of radars.
The actual use of radar detectors is now illegal in Spain.
http://www.motorpasion.com/seguridad...-radar-en-2014
Which is odd why El Corte Inglés still sells them
http://www.elcorteingles.es/tienda/e...999.1297856330
One can pay one line a fine, even if you are not a Spanish resident.
Read the article from TA it is informative helps a lot.
Speed camera locations are well known. There is a DGT (Spanish government department) website which gives the locations.
http://www.dgt.es/es/el-trafico/control-de-velocidad/
The Spanish are very kind and do give warnings on fixed radar locations. This photo.
http://www.autopista.es/media/cache/...571195e961.jpg
The first one warns of a black spot area where a lot of accidents occur. The second one gives a warning of the radar. This is the one to watch out for.
The problem is you can get mobile detectors and now they use helicopters too.
All GPS come with radar warnings and these can be updated plus have sites of frequencies used mobile radar locations if you do a webs search for POIs.
You can also download apps for your phone which will give you locations of radars.
The actual use of radar detectors is now illegal in Spain.
http://www.motorpasion.com/seguridad...-radar-en-2014
Which is odd why El Corte Inglés still sells them
http://www.elcorteingles.es/tienda/e...999.1297856330
Oct 23rd, 2014, 02:37 AM
#30
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My GPS (Garmin) gave precise warning of both upcoming fixed and mobile speed cameras in Spain, which in case of fixed camera locations were repeated on road signs. I also noticed that local drivers slowed down conspicuously at certain locations so indicated but not at others, so they may have known which system was live.
In my experience, since the rental company isn't liable to pay the fine but you as the driver, they don't do so and then charge it to your card. What they do is to pass on your details to the authorities when they receive the fine and charge you for the (in)convenience (typically 25-30 euro). So any fine you pay will be in addition.
In my experience, since the rental company isn't liable to pay the fine but you as the driver, they don't do so and then charge it to your card. What they do is to pass on your details to the authorities when they receive the fine and charge you for the (in)convenience (typically 25-30 euro). So any fine you pay will be in addition.
Oct 23rd, 2014, 08:48 AM
#31
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I can't tell you about that website, but the certificate being out of date does not always mean the website is insecure. IN fact, believe it or not, I do consulting to the Dept of Defense and have to do annual online training about privacy issues, and their online training website has a bad certificate which always turns up an error.
Oct 23rd, 2014, 10:09 AM
#32
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It is helpful to have a dedicated credit card with a low limit (&1000) for this sort of situation. If it is compromised the bad guys don't get much!! I would just pay it at the unsecured site and monitor my credit card on line, which I do anyway.
Oct 23rd, 2014, 03:08 PM
#33
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I got another idea, buy one of those gift-card CC, load it with $100 (ok, it would cost me another couple bucks) that will be more than enough for paying the 50 Euro fine. I can always use the leftover at any store.
Or am I wrong?
Or am I wrong?
Oct 23rd, 2014, 04:18 PM
#34
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For my speeding ticket, I went to my bank and paid a hefty fee for international money transfer.
We are always traveling and I never know if I shall return to Belgium and The Netherlands.
But after many years of renting and reading more and more of these stories, I am now less likely to rent a car in any European country.
We are always traveling and I never know if I shall return to Belgium and The Netherlands.
But after many years of renting and reading more and more of these stories, I am now less likely to rent a car in any European country.
Oct 23rd, 2014, 11:50 PM
#35
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To be quite honest I am really surprised that there is not more posting about receiving fines from France or the UK
France: The GPS or website are not allowed to publish information on camera locations. There are no roadside warnings about locations either.
The UK: They have the greatest number of roadside cameras per length of road than any other European country. A greater chance of obtaining a nice souvenir.
France: The GPS or website are not allowed to publish information on camera locations. There are no roadside warnings about locations either.
The UK: They have the greatest number of roadside cameras per length of road than any other European country. A greater chance of obtaining a nice souvenir.
Oct 24th, 2014, 12:05 AM
#36
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The GPS or website are not allowed to publish information on camera locations: Right as far as GPS is concerned, but wrong re websites : http://www.radars-auto.com/carte-radar/
"There are no roadside warnings about locations either."
This is not correct, the law has changed : http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2013...rtisseurs.html
"There are no roadside warnings about locations either."
This is not correct, the law has changed : http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2013...rtisseurs.html
Oct 24th, 2014, 12:47 AM
#37
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After a few decades of driving in Europe and a few 10K miles behind the wheel in the US, I think there is still a bit of different driving "psychology" on either side of the pond.
The "crime scene" which mamamia posted via Google streetview is pretty typical for a speed limit funnel.
If you are somewhat accustomed to driving in Europe, you will probably subconciously regard the first limit (70 kph) more as an advance warning to actually decrease your speed to 50 kph as you see that there is a village coming up. And in built-up areas, the speed limit is 50 in Spain by default.
I will not go so far to say that no local will ignore or not notice the signs, but it is more or less a "standard situation".
I am no expert on American driving regulations, but the way my friends in the US drive it seems that they often translate actual speed limits or other road signs into more vague prescriptions like "slow down", "drive carefully" or "everybody goes a little faster here".
While your local sheriff may be satisfied if you gradually decrease your speed after you passed the 45mph sign, the speed cameras in Spain or Sweden will remain unimpressed with your "good intention".
You will incur ticket after ticket unless you memorize that the speed limit sign tells you how fast you may go exactly where the sign is posted. And not one meter behind it (even though in reality most cameras are posted a *few* meters behind it).
The "crime scene" which mamamia posted via Google streetview is pretty typical for a speed limit funnel.
If you are somewhat accustomed to driving in Europe, you will probably subconciously regard the first limit (70 kph) more as an advance warning to actually decrease your speed to 50 kph as you see that there is a village coming up. And in built-up areas, the speed limit is 50 in Spain by default.
I will not go so far to say that no local will ignore or not notice the signs, but it is more or less a "standard situation".
I am no expert on American driving regulations, but the way my friends in the US drive it seems that they often translate actual speed limits or other road signs into more vague prescriptions like "slow down", "drive carefully" or "everybody goes a little faster here".
While your local sheriff may be satisfied if you gradually decrease your speed after you passed the 45mph sign, the speed cameras in Spain or Sweden will remain unimpressed with your "good intention".
You will incur ticket after ticket unless you memorize that the speed limit sign tells you how fast you may go exactly where the sign is posted. And not one meter behind it (even though in reality most cameras are posted a *few* meters behind it).
Oct 24th, 2014, 07:38 AM
#38
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Pvoyageuse Thank you for the information
I wonder just how legal the website is? They do list various detectors even though they are illegal in France
http://www.radars-auto.com/avertisse...dars/autonome/
I drove through France just last January and never saw any warning signs. They all have disappeared, or so it looked to me. I travel basically the same route each year.
Besides what happened to those black silhouettes which indicated road accident deaths?
I wonder just how legal the website is? They do list various detectors even though they are illegal in France
http://www.radars-auto.com/avertisse...dars/autonome/
I drove through France just last January and never saw any warning signs. They all have disappeared, or so it looked to me. I travel basically the same route each year.
Besides what happened to those black silhouettes which indicated road accident deaths?
Oct 24th, 2014, 08:36 AM
#39
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I find Cowboy1968's post very interesting indeed--I think he's right, there are unspoken understandings and assumptions about driving regulations that locals know instinctively and visitors violate at their peril.
mammamia2, I am no expert here, but it seems to me that you could take a chance and use one of your less critically important cards, and then do as jane1144 says and monitor it daily online. If you don't have a card you're willing to sort of retire temporarily, I think your gift card idea is great.
mammamia2, I am no expert here, but it seems to me that you could take a chance and use one of your less critically important cards, and then do as jane1144 says and monitor it daily online. If you don't have a card you're willing to sort of retire temporarily, I think your gift card idea is great.
Oct 24th, 2014, 10:04 AM
#40
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"I wonder just how legal the website is? They do list various detectors even though they are illegal in France
http://www.radars-auto.com/avertisseurs-radars/autonome/"
They list which detectors are compatible with the law and which aren't.
"I drove through France just last January and never saw any warning signs. They all have disappeared, or so it looked to me."
I drive in France every day and I assure you that where I live we have a delightful mixture of warning signs/no warning signs/unmarked police cars with a radar inside !
Besides what happened to those black silhouettes which indicated road accident deaths?
If you read French : "Les opérations silhouettes noires, sont des opérations ponctuelles, réalisées dans les départements, selon décision des préfectures, et en partenariat avec la collectivité gestionnaire de la route (DDE)."
http://www.radars-auto.com/avertisseurs-radars/autonome/"
They list which detectors are compatible with the law and which aren't.
"I drove through France just last January and never saw any warning signs. They all have disappeared, or so it looked to me."
I drive in France every day and I assure you that where I live we have a delightful mixture of warning signs/no warning signs/unmarked police cars with a radar inside !
Besides what happened to those black silhouettes which indicated road accident deaths?
If you read French : "Les opérations silhouettes noires, sont des opérations ponctuelles, réalisées dans les départements, selon décision des préfectures, et en partenariat avec la collectivité gestionnaire de la route (DDE)."
