Many French cameras flash and face you. In Spain they are many taking photos from the rear, but again many flash. In the UK it is the same as in France. The law in the UK there must be a photo of the driver on the ticket to prove who the driver was at the time. Maybe it the same in France?
Many vacationers now use some sort of GPS, so that will tell you what the speed is or as mine states there is a toll. I would assume the route one uses for city centres where there is a limit on traffic this would show up too?

>>>The fine was around $100 with no points.<<<

If you are from the US, in the past ticket info was not shared unless it was a bordering state (and not all bordering states shared) so you would not have gotten points on your license.

>>>Dukey1 on Nov 10, 13 at 11:57am
I've never heard of any insurance company raising rates or for that matter, <<<

Yes, they raise rates. They check a couple of data bases before renewal to see if you've had any infractions (for the states). That is why people go to traffic school after they get a ticket. In KY, if you complete traffic school on time for certain types of tickets (including speeding), the state won't have that ticket show in the system the insurance checks. Most traffic school is online now. Different states have different rules about points/insurance.

"The law in the UK there must be a photo of the driver on the ticket to prove who the driver was at the time."

Not unless the law has changed recently. There has been very famous court case this year when a politician and his then wife were sent to prison for lying about who was the driver when their car was photographed speeding. That photograph certainly could not be used to identify the driver. Most cameras in the U.K. photograph the rear of the car.

hetismij said, "It is just as well you paid the fine...." I don't think it ever occurred to me not to pay.

I haven't heard or not heard about US insurers raising rates for traffic cameras, but I know they don't where I live, so what Dukey said doesn't surprise me. Violations due to any traffic/speed camera in the area where I live must be paid, but it isn't the kind of violation that affects your insurance premiums. I suspect because it is really the car that is getting the ticket, not a particular person (or maybe just because they don't want as big a public outcry over the cameras that they would get if it did).

This bit about insurance points maybe the following from Wiki may explain it? But it is oh so tenuous IMHO
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_l...ncial_concerns

In the UK at least, one speeding fine within the last 5 years will increase insurance premiums at the next renewal. Two will result in a greater increase in premium and some insurers will refuse cover completely. If you do not disclose speeding fines when renewing cover, that cover could be invalid in the event of any claim.

The people who speed and then refuse to pay speeding fines clearly feel they are above the law and have obviously feel they have superior driving skills to the rest of us. Maybe they would think differently if they had seen the devastation caused to the family of my best friend who was killed by a speeding driver. Speed limits are there for reason.

It is inevitable that any driver will speed at some point. If so, they should accept the penalty regardless of whether they are in their own or foreign country. If you visit a foreign country you should accept the laws of that land or don't go. Although I do appreciate that is a concept completely alien to some nationalities.

I think in Germany the police needs a photo on which the Ddiver can be identified. If the quality is too bad to identify the driver, they normally don't send out a ticket.

If they measure the speed limit without a photo, then you get stopped directly.

In Japan the face of driver is needed in Japan too:
http://youtu.be/r3i-HRxf8z4?t=4m26s

I agree if you do the crime, pay. But it may not be so simple. I visited Ireland in July. A month later I received a speeding ticket which had apparently been generated by a computerized system. First such ticket ever, and I was really careful while driving in Ireland. But there was little option for a challenge, and the fines escalate if a challenge is submitted, or if payment is not made quickly. I had heard about some ticketing scams, but the material appeared to be real. Thus I did not pay by credit card, and got a Bank draft. I also mailed all the required material by Priority service, even though the ticket from issuance to delivery in the US only took 4 days. Being skeptical about this, I photographed all the material at the UPS store prior to mailing. Sad to say, a month later I received a communication that my material arrived late (allegedly the priority mail to 22 days vs the promised 5) and the required documentation was not received. They asked for double the fine. This is taking much time, and much aggravation. Is it a scam? It appears government generated, but if revenue is the goal, then please add a surcharge to the car rental. I agree with taking responsibility, but this is a one way business and the ticket issuer has all the cards, and can be as unreasonable or unethical as they want. Renting a car in Ireland may have long term complications.

Well if the delivery service took 22 days instead of 5 then how is that the fault on the part of the ticketing agency?

If we send any documents outside the US we use FedEx and it generally takes no more than 2 or at most 3 days and you get confirmation and a signature.

welcome to Fodors -- curious what you googled to find PQ's OLD thread to top?

If you have the health and good fortune to
holiday in Europe,
Pay the piper for YOUR mistake
Stop making excuses and thank God for your good
fortune.

I ended up leaving Annecy, France this past Spring, complaining that I might be eligible to receive quite a few traffic violations in the mail. It's now October, and I'm still checking the mail and my credit card statement.

I was 14-years-old when my father taught me how to drive. I learned on a manual and then later on an automatic. I've owned both versions in my life of driving in the U.S.

Before leaving for France, I printed and studied their road signs. It was a lot of information to absorb and memorize. When push comes to shove, and you're deep in the thick of navigating through unfamiliar territory - eyes darting from dashboard signals, GPS screens, rearview and sideview mirrors, the intersection in front of you, traffic lights, and road signage - I don't know how anyone can escape unscathed.

I've never experienced so many difficult to read road signs on the side of the road in all my years of driving. France's intersections give new meaning to sign hoarding. There was no easy-to-read street name signage at any intersection. And for some reason, I get vertigo when I enter a roundabout and become completely disoriented. Not knowing that the map turns on the GPS screen as you drive through a roundabout further complicated my ability to make correct driving decisions. For an experienced, fearless driver, I ended up making far too many mistakes that were not often easy to correct. Luckily, I printed my own maps to augment the GPS, which sometimes did not work.

All too often, I found the speed limit jump from 70 to 50 to 30 with very little notice. At times my driving was so jerky my sister got car sick. I found that my desire to avoid making road mistakes in France forced me to make more. I was never really able to feel safe or find comfort while driving, because each new day found me tackling a new territory with an abundance of signage.

If the tickets come I will pay them. I did the best job I could to avoid them. Travelers who rent cars need to budget for tickets. It's just the way things are these days.