Holiday Speeders to Pay

It may seem like a way to shave a few hours from your travelling time, yet many tourists are now beginning to find that speeding has its own cost, that may outweigh the value of saving a few hours on your way there.

Over recent years countries throughout Europe have been targeting speeding motor vehicle driver, particularly those from foreign countries. Motorists have slowly learned to be careful in France as being caught can result in a fine that can cost almost as much as their holiday. The cause of this hard stance on speeding foreigners is reported to be an attempt to curtail the amount of unpaid fines, left when authorities are unable to find an address for the speeding drivers.

Now tourists driving through Spain are going to have to share the jubilance of those driving through France as the Spanish implement new technology to catch speeding foreign motorists. Spain has recently introduced a massive crackdown on speeding, and many tourists feel victimised as they face on the spot fines. The cameras put in by Spanish police now instantly recognise foreign number plates and from this they alert police cars nearby the area to stop drivers and accost them with an on-the-spot fine, which can be up to 500 Euros depending on how fast you were going.

Many believe this is a rather cynical way to try and squeeze money from tourists, but the Spanish authorities are assuring that it is an entirely pragmatic decision, as rather than having to find out the driver through the car rental service the instantaneous fine allows the police to get the money without having to go through the dubious postal process.

“Except in rare circumstances the foreign drivers caught speeding in Spain never receive their fines, because we have nowhere to send them”, commented a spokesman for the Direccion General el Traffico (the DGT), the Spanish equivalent of the DVLA.

The inability to bill speeding non-resident drivers is said to be a problem that persists throughout Europe. So far many other European countries have expressed an interest in implementing a similar system.

This crackdown will also cover other charges with on-the-spot charges. Drink driving, and tailgating motorists are also set to be targeted. On-the-spot charges ensure they will be dealt with in the country the crime is committed. The DGT spokesperson commented that, “Negotiations are taking place at EU level to ensure speeding and drunk drivers are penalised in the European country in which the offence takes place”.

When other countries are likely to add the cameras is as yet unknown, but it is believed to be a good way to ensure drivers are fined within the appropriate location. So far the cameras have been added at locations where tourists are responsible for half the motor offences. Andalusia has widely implemented the scheme as has Menorca - Menorca villas are incredibly popular with tourists this year, if you are renting accommodation and a car ensure to watch your speed.