Speeding tickets and fines

I know that I have been flashed by a speed camera whilst coming into Munich from Augsburg (Autobahn A8). I was doing about 100kph in a 60kph zone.

Although I have a British Licence and a german registered car does any know what are the penalties involved?

If points are given, how does that get registered against my UK licence?

I assume I will get a letter in the post shortly.

Thanks.

I've have first hand experience of this a few times. In theory you'll just get the fine and no points transferred against your British license. If you had someone in the car with you then you'll probably have to go to the police station in person. I was zapped whilst out with my girlfriend once and the guy said they couldn't send the photo to my address as I might have been married but out with another woman and they don't want to cause domestic trouble. Considerate bunch aren't they!

That was a couple of months ago. I got zapped again a fortnight ago whilst out with my father. Was doing about 75 in a 50 zone so I'm sure the next one will be along shortly.

If you've to go police station go early in the morning when they're still in a good mood but don't want much paperwork hassle to deal with. And don't speak much German. They'd rather just give you the fine and gett it out of the way and get onto something more important.

Good luck!

Good advice Keydeck, sounds as if you've done considerable research.

A few months ago I was stopped for cycling through a red traffic light. I did not get on with the policeman, partly because he told me he was going to fine me in the first 10 seconds while I was still being polite. Normally I'm just left off with a warning.

Anyway he filled in a big form and told me to sign it. He reacted in amazement and horror at my insistance on reading the damn thing before signing it, and there was a paragraph to paraphrase


I asked him why he was aksing me to sign that he had proberly explained my rights when he had not done so, and he told me my signature merely stated my personal details were correct.

I said I may be only an Auslander, with imperfect German but the form he is asking me to sign clearly states he had informed me of my rights when he had not. Anyway I didn't sign, and hung around to watch them giving a ticket to a car parked on the cycle path.

Many weeks later i got a letter inviting me to pay Euro 85. I took this to my lawyer together with my account of the incident which I'd written out as soon as I got home. I told my lawyer I didn't care about the fine, I just wanted to piss off the idiot who had aggravated me by explaining bullshit.

Apparently I could have filed a Dienstaufuhrungsbescwherden again the police but my lawyer said I did not have a 1% chance of getting anywhere, I had a 0% chance. With two police in the car it was their word against mine, and just pay the damn fine.

so here's a question then: if this happened to you whilst cycling, you are not expected to have a driver's licence on you, so assume you refused to show one. if you refused to sign the paper (which you did), then how can they *make* you pay the fine if there is strictly nothing that proves that you are actually the person that was stopped? would be worth not paying, just to see what happens.

my guess is that the system would choke on it because that would just not be covered by zäh ruulz and that it would just be sent from one desk to the other until doomsday / statute of limitations (whichever comes first)

Interesting point of view, but I'm not sure that I would trust it - surely they would then just arrest you? That or pull his sidearm and dispense Justiz to ze filzy Engländer who hed bi-cycled durch a rote-Licht...

In Germany, you are expected to have ID on you at all times when out in the public. They don't need your driver's licence to give you a ticket for a bike offence, they just need some ID. If you don't have any ID, you could get yet another ticket for that. And as they have the list in their computers of where everyone in Munich lives (it's scary, but true. Even tells you the nationality and marital status), I wouldn't recommend telling porky pies about where you live or what your name is.

As it is MadAxe, as you had already said that normally you are "just let off with a warning", obviously that hadn't made much of an impression on you, since you kept running the red lights. Perhaps a ticket was in order? I mean, I run red lights all the time on my bike too, but I'm ready to pay the consequences if I'm caught.

I have been done for speeding several times now and so far have only received €50-€100 fines. Can't help myself, my car either does 0 or 95mph which is fine providing you're not in a built up area. One of the letters did say that for every fine you get you are are given points which are stored on the police computer and once you exceed a certain limit they can ban you. But so far so good!
At least I'm not as bad as Granny who got a months ban for driving over one and a half times the speed limit !!

The first thing the poleezman asked me was my name. If i had refused to give my name he'd definetly have thrown the book at me, plus what showem said.

As I said normally you stay polite, admit you were naughty and refrain from asking him why he's bothering innocent cyclists when there's homicidally incompetent drivers on the road.

Of course I should have used my handy to call my home phone, and then recorded the conversation on my answering machine. Sadly you only have brilliant ideas like that after you wake up from the dream that you're the Roman Emperor, and the nasty policeman is begging you not to give him the thumbs down after he's just lost his gladatorial match.

And I'm not "ze filzy Engländer", in fact I'm a very cuddly and well mantained Irishman so lay off the "Calling Madaxe an Englander insults" ok ?

showem I do get the point, but it kindof proves mine. here's how: you say that "don't need your driver's licence to give you a ticket for a bike offence, they just need some ID. If you don't have any ID, you could get yet another ticket for that." but if I do not have ID then how are they going to prove that I am in fact the one without ID?

and as to not "telling porky pies about where you live or what your name is." because "they have the list in their computers of where everyone in Munich lives": since there is no requirement to either live in munich (or germany for that matter) nor to have a driving licence to ride a cycle, this does not alter things

in summary: what is to stop me from saying "my name is billy bob thornton and I live in clapham"

the only thing I can think of is they arrest me. but how long can they hold me for before having to release me?

in short, I am convinced that you can win this one and it would be cool if someone tried it just to see what happens. just because you can...

My +1 got stopped by the police for going over a red light on his bike last year... He didn't sign anything and hoped he could prove that it wasn't him etc... a few days later a video turned up at our house - +1 on his bike - and a note saying something along the lines of "see you in court". He went to the police and signed the confession the next day - 1 point on his driving license and 150€!!

I think I got nicked many times in my first year in Deutschland by Herr Plod.

One classic was on the A93/A9 bend with the camera - same situation - doing 100 not 60.

Then another was on the Mittlerer Ring 7am on the way up to Oberpfalz early Monday.

Another was for parking in the wrong direction near Dantebad.

I have been caught twice driving a wee bit too fast, my first was only 3km (50km)over and I was fined 30 euro. The latest being 51km (100km) over , recieved 3 points and one month ban. Now that I'm a "persistent law breaker"! The rules state that I will automatically receive a ban for any driving offence commited within the next 2 years. I guess I didn't learn either from my initial misdemeanour!

See Bussgeldkataloge for a list of fines, points and bans.

Even if your driving licence isnt German you can still get banned from driving in Germany if you are caught speeding too many times.

Happened to a friend of mine with an Aussie licence.

got zapped on the A8 tonight, probably 25 to 30 over the limit. Here is a chart of the fines for speeding in Germany:

within city limits (especially in 30km/hr zones)
as of 10 km/h 15,- EUR
11-15 km/h 25,- EUR
16-20 km/h 35,- EUR
21-25 km/h 50,- EUR, 1 Point
26-30 km/h 60,- EUR, 3 Points
31-40 km/h 100,- EUR, 3 Points, 1 month suspension
41-50 km/h 125,- EUR, 4 Points, 1 month suspension
51-60 km/h 175,- EUR, 4 Points, 2 month suspension
61-70 km/h 300,- EUR, 4 Points, 3 month suspension
over 70 km/h 425,- EUR, 4 Points, 3 month suspension

Autobahn and country roads
as of 10 km/h 10,- EUR
11-15 km/h 20,- EUR
16-20 km/h 30,- EUR
21-25 km/h 40,- EUR, 1 point
26-30 km/h 50,- EUR, 3 points
31-40 km/h 75,- EUR, 3 points
41-50 km/h 100,- EUR, 3 points, 1 month suspension
51-60 km/h 150,- EUR, 4 points, 1 month suspension
61-70 km/h 275,- EUR, 4 points, 2 month suspension
over 70 km/h 375,- EUR, 4 points, 3 month suspension

I'm outa Germany in under a month, deregistering and all ... wonder if the fine will just disappear since my record here will be closed

Here's a link to the source of the info that Isaak posted:
German Speeding Fines

Note to self... your pretty much safe as long and you dont exceed 20km over the speed limit...

Just when I thought nothing else could go wrong... I just got a speeding ticket in the post, I think it says I was doing 82 km in a 50 km. Anybody know what will happen to me. (with a bit of luck deported )

Topics merged by admin

Happened to me not so long ago, cost me €80 but no points in Flensburg.

you will get deported

with his fines i would send the form back and tell them it was him...

ok just checked this it is

100 euros
3 points
and 1 month without license...

saw it here you were more than 30 kmh over the limit...

bussgeld

Andrea

For the speeding tickets that 'the other person' got in your car... you should contact whichever Amt gave you the tickets. Normally they don't send out the photo in the post, but if you say that you weren't driving at the time and give them 'the other persons' details they should follow it up. Unless he looks exactly like you, there shouldn't be an argument from the Police.

its always a good idea to go down to the amt and ask to see the photos.
1 if they cant find them they cant fine you.
2i got a speeding ticket a while back for my caravan which was doing 80+ without the aid of a towing vehicle, so they do make the odd cock up

Question it and ask to see the photos.

This happened to a friend of mine and they couldn't recognise anything from the pictures so he was let off.

Something similar happened to my mate in the UK when he got a fine through the post for jumping a red light (no, not that sort of red light!) in Bristol.

When he phoned to say he wasn't even in Bristol they said " Don't worry about, if we can't make out the full number we make a best guess"(!!!) and cancelled it.

now that is a con and from the cops too...
they are just as bad as traffic wardens.

Hi Lil' Sis,
If you were in a built up area or a baustelle it can make a difference (it makes it worse), but Bully is basically correct.

did you check it out on the link i gave earlier in this thead..

ist the procent already deducted on this 82 kmh??
it makes a big difference if you were 32 kmh over or only 30 kmh!!

Bulldog, the letter says -

Sie überschritten die zulässige Höchstgeschwindigkeit innerhalb geschlossener Ortschaften um 32 km/h

Zulässige Geschwindigkeit: 50 km/h
Festgestellte Geschwindigkeit (abzgl. Toleranz): 82 km/h

I haven't got a clue what any of that means.

You exceeded the permitted maximum speed in a built-up area by 32 km/h.

Permitted speed: 50 km/h.

Speed registered (minus tolerance): 82 km/h.

In other words, Andrea, you're buggered. Sorry to put a dampener on it, but it doesn't look too good.

so what i first wrote is what will happen 1 month without a license, 3 points and 100 euros.
normally you can tell them within a certain time when you want this month to start. ie. when you go on holiday

means you were over be 32 km ( after taking off the tolerance so you were in fact over by 35 km ).

You`ll loose your license for 1 month, if its your first time then you can choose when you want to loose it within a 3-4 month timeframe, if you`ve lost it before you will have to give it up as soon as the "you`ve lost your license" letter comes.

You`ll have to take your license to the local police and hand it in. They`ll keep it for that month. After that you`ll have to really watch out for the next 12 months that your not caught at more than 22 km over or you`ll loose it again.

I lost mine last August ( not in the local town, but on the Autobahn ).

You can ask to see the photo and hope your not identifiable but most photos nowadays are good particularly in the local town as they have taken it from fairly close. Cost should be at least 100 Euros if not more ( I thought I paid 150 Euros ).

Anything over 30 km over in a town ( 40 km on the highway ) is bad.

See also:

How to deal with speeding tickets

I had the rather dubious honour of being top of the leader board (no, really there is an actual white board and a prize!) for the most received autobahn speeding tickets at Forces Radio BFBS - It must have been quite a lot I accrued because I was still at the top 6 months after I left Germany the first time apparently.
I even got a toy "Playmobil" Polizei car as a leaving present - Bastards, the lot of 'em!

Favouite excuse? "Of course I was aware there is a 120km/h speed limit at night along this stetch of autobahn that cuts through a residential area officer - I just thought the faster I go, the quicker I can get away from the area and the local residents can get back to sleep again" - It worked and even raised a smile...From the Polizei!

(Not trying to make light of those that speed away from autobahns though - That is naughty )

Do you still get points if you have a UK driving liscence?

Nope; But you can get banned from driving in Germany.

€185,60 speeding fine and 1 point for being 19k’s over the limit set for trucks an Autobahn, seems a large fine and a low point “strafe�. Anyone know where I can find relevant fine tables… and more importantly I read some time back that speeding offences could not legally be prosecuted on Tacho evidence in Europe, can anyone throw any light on this?

Hi Mack

check out this link

Bussgeldrechner

or this one

bussgeldrechner

http://www.avd.de/
then - Verkehrsrecht
and then - Bußgeldkatalog

Heres where to find your fine tables you naughty boy

Someone else will probably post other ones.

Have a nice day

So you can drive a 3.5 tonne lorry at 200kmh through a pedestrian zone with a 10kmh speed limit and only get 425 Euro fine, 3 months ban, and 4 points. I think it would be worthwhile doing that just for a laugh.

Jean-Pierre

Phoned the Anfangjaeger in Bayern, apparently they quadrupled the fine because I was more than 15 k's over and according to the knowal Bavarian copper I've only got the 1 point in Flensburg aswell

How the hell they worked that out is beyond me, not gonna kick up a fuss tho

Hmm, somehow that doesn't all stack up...

They all say €40 and 1 point for 19km/h over.

Even quadrupling €40 only give €160.

Sounds like you've been well and truly done, Slack.

Sure there wasn't something else?

Maybe the previous owner had a speeding fine which he never paid!!

Jean-Pierre

Reminds me of a Brit, who used to work in Cologne. Bought himself a Fireblade, when they were really new.

Sometime, he was driving through Chorweiler, and stopped beside a patrol car at the traffic lights. The policeman in the passenger side had a good look at his bike, then rolled the window down and gave him a wave with the magic wand.

Brit understood they'd stopped him for going too fast, but didn't understand why, as he'd been stopped at the lights and had seen the patrol car, so wasn't going fast at all.

When they all got back to the station, they took out a file, with a full deck of Gatso photos of an unmistakable bike being piloted by his leathers.. ...

Would you have preferred to have more points and a lower fine ? At least once the fines paid its over and done with.

€25,60 costs is the difference.

Rebbecca, the points don't interest me, hell I'd taken a months ban given the choice. A month away from boosting the polizei crime detection figures would suit me down to the ground... especially when written off sick anyway.

100 km/h in a 70 km/h zone, :doh: how much is the fine?!??!?

Rich,

Were you caught on camera?

If yes it depends on who was driving, do you have a friend or brother back in the UK who looks like you?
If he was driving, and you send a copy of his driving licence. 9 times out of 10 the they won't follow it up (unless you are realy ripping the arse out of it).

Up to you how to handle it, but it has worked for me!!

Duncan.

Hello mate,

Yes it was a camera, (I had just put my phone down luckily )

But it was a hire car, hired in my name, and although my license is British, it was against my German address. :doh:

The last time I had this problem it was in my German car, registered to my German address and it still worked.
You have to check that anyone was insured to drive the rental car. If so go for it, it works.

I have even done this in my German company car a couple of times, as advised by my German bosses.

The costs involved in collecting are too high, so they just write it off. I think they do the same in England.

Duncan.

Bussgeldrechner

Try this