Thursday 7 October, 2004

SPEEDING DRIVERS FACE JAIL

Speeding drivers face jail in France under a new tariff of on-the-spot fines and dramatically increasing penalties for speeding.

The fines are stipulated in a list which categorises each offence. A class two contravention, usually for minor offences such as careless parking, could mean an instant fine of 20 Euros, while failure to produce the correct vehicle documents will cost you 45 Euros.

Speeding is class four and has an on-the-spot fine of 90 Euros or about £60, but could be much more. If you are well over the limit, you could be arrested and hauled before a judge with a risk of prison.

Only drivers who can prove they are resident in France escape on-the-spot payments. Commented Maurice Carroll of wine and travel web site winedrive.com: "It just not true to say they a targeting British drivers. This is general clamp-down across the country and will catch anyone driving badly, including the locals.

"So the UK motorists who brag about how fast they can reach their destination could end up spending the rest of their holiday, plus a few months, behind bars."

Motorists are also advised to keep an eye on planned legislation which could make it illegal to drive without dipped headlights during the day. Regular travel news updates for France can be found on winedrive.com.

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