Got fanmail from Germany, my first speeding ticket

[snowdog]

Anyone ever got caught in Germany with speeding?
I just got a ticket from ''LAND BRANDENBURG, Zentraldienst der Polizei'', they are claiming I was doing 90 kph @ 80 kph on the Bundesautobahn 12 between Briesen and Furstenwalde and also sent me a UN and PW to see the photo online...

They want to know who was driving and a whopping 10 euro's from me the driver .


What to do ?

1 - Bin it, ignore any further fanmail.
2 - Send a Dutch letter back that I don't understand what they're saying, refer to the European Convention on Human Rights Article 6 paragraph 3 that I demand a letter in Dutch, hope it takes too long ( I believe fines like this drop in Germany if they can't prove who the driver was within 3 months, or 6 months).
3 - Say I was driver, pay it.

I'm not planning to go to (or thorugh) Germany any time soon for now, I'm leaning towards just binning it.

 

[Cristian]

for 10 euros?
I'd just pay it really, not worth the potential hassle (even if small) for such a small fine.

 

[semi-pro waster]

I suppose the first question is were you doing 90kph in an 80kph zone? What happens if you don't pay it? Are there any further sanctions that are likely to be taken against you i.e. reciprocal agreements of some description between Germany and Holland to help punish offenders - unlikely but I don't know. For the sake of €10 I'd probably pay it, if I was speeding then it's hardly a bank breaking expense to pay it and get rid of it.

 

[[TW]Fox]

There must be some sort of agreement or they wouldnt have been provided with his address..

 

[Westyfield2]

€10 and no points or anything? I'd pay it.

 

[Dr House]

Just pay it and get it over with.

My wife and I spent one afternoon in a german jail cell when I went over for the day a couple of years ago. Safe to say I will not be driving in germany without my passport with me again.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Pay it, and its over.

Is it worth hanging over your head for months and months for the sake of £9?

 

[Rroff]

Assumings it genuine and not an elaborate scam (seems too much effort for 10euros) just pay it. Can't remember the exact details now but my cousin didn't pay an outstanding speeding ticket there and had quite a bit of hassle the next time he was in the country (was stopped again for speeding, they saw the previous unpaid one on the system and impounded his car and he had a lot of hassle to get it back).

 

[Dr House]

Pay it, and its over.

Is it worth hanging over your head for months and months for the sake of £9?

I think 9 pounds is the fee to see the photo?

I would think the fine will be 60 to 100 euro, if the fine is really 10 euro just pay it and forget about it.

 

[Beans on toast Dave]

pay it but send one of your wasps nests with the payment

 

[Dr House]

Muppet from the uk speeding in germany

http://arbroath.blogspot.com/2008/10/german-police-seek-speeding-british.html

 

[Westyfield2]

Muppet from the uk speeding in germany

http://arbroath.blogspot.com/2008/10/german-police-seek-speeding-british.html

That's a funny looking TT .

 

[Alibaba99]

There must be some sort of agreement or they wouldnt have been provided with his address..

Not really. There is certainly no agreement between the UK and France at the moment but that hasn't stopped people receiving claims for fines when caught on unmanned cameras via a 3rd party unit claiming to act for the French authorities.

 

[mjt]

Pay it. It's not very much and it's not worth the stress if they start chasing you up.

My dad's got out of paying Spanish speeding tickets by refusing to sign for the many registered letters the Spanish police sent.
I don't think you could really get away with this one, plus the fact it's only €10 means you should just cough up.

FWIW, I received a €12 fine from the Netherlands which I thought was an absolute farce, but there you go.

 

[Sin_Chase]

Sort of related but how do foreign authorities even know who the registration plate belongs to, jurisdiction wise?

Surely there is no shared central database so is it just trial and error or what?

My registration plates have zero country identifiers and could be confused with a vanity UK plate surely?

Guernsey plates are JUST a number and nothing else for example. Without access to the local governing body and the link of Reg > car type/colour/VIN number etc how can you PROVE which country it belongs to?

 

[mjt]

Sort of related but how do foreign authorities even know who the registration plate belongs to, jurisdiction wise?

Surely there is no shared central database so is it just trial and error or what?

My registration plates have zero country identifiers and could be confused with a vanity UK plate surely?

Guernsey plates are JUST a number and nothing else for example. Without access to the local governing body and the link of Reg > car type/colour/VIN number etc how can you PROVE which country it belongs to?

If you're abroad then by law you need to have a sticker with the country code on it.
Nowadays it's usually on the plate, but if it isn't then you need to stick one on.

 

[Cosimo]

Pay the 10€ as it’s not worth the hassle you might get.

 

[Sin_Chase]

If you're abroad then by law you need to have a sticker with the country code on it.

"Opps"

 

[Amos91]

When I was in France I got flashed just outside Calais. Didn't get a ticket through at all. I presume they don't have access the the DVLA etc so following up is often a waste of time?

 

[mattyprice4004]

When I went to the 'Ring a year ago, I got flashed on a lovely twisty backroad in Germany... I think I was doing about 120kph and the limit was 70 or 80.

Ironically enough the sat nav had spent the last few seconds beeping at me, trying to warn me so I told my missus to shove it in the glove compartment, then flash.