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Receiving a speeding fine (via camera) in Poland with a British licence


Ajb  6 | 231  
11 Jul 2011 /  #1
Hey guys!

I have a question, a couple of weeks ago I got caught speeding by one of them cameras which gets a very good face shot. I was driving my father in law's car, which is of course is registered in Poland.

Now here's the situation!

I have a British licence and my picture expires in a week, I've applied for a Polish licence (3 weeks ago) for which they are awaiting for conformation from the DVLA. There is no one to take the fine as no one looks remotely similar to me.

So what to do? Can I take the points on my British licence? Will there be a problem with having British Documents? It is possible for them to stop my licence application in such a situation?

Any advice would be great!

Ajb
poland_  
11 Jul 2011 /  #2
I was driving my father in law's car, which is of course is registered in Poland.

Are you in Poland NOW.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
11 Jul 2011 /  #3
It is possible for them to stop my licence application in such a situation?

It's actually muuuuch easier than that - because in Poland, the points are linked to the PESEL, rather than the licence - just go to the police station, own up and they'll deal with it there and then. How the hell did you manage to get caught by a camera in Poland, though? I mean, the big blue signs... :P

Shouldn't be a problem with the licence - the only issue is that the police might want to see the original licence. Actually - thinking about it - you might get an extra 50PLN fine if you aren't able to produce the licence. But - that, I'm really not sure about - there must be something allowing you to drive while in the process of exchanging a licence?

(bastard though - if you hadn't been in the process of exchanging the licence, your father-in-law could just blame some random "Christopher Bradbury" from the UK)
Harry  
11 Jul 2011 /  #4
I mean, the big blue signs.

Sadly those are not in front of all cameras in every region....
OP Ajb  6 | 231  
11 Jul 2011 /  #5
Are you in Poland NOW

Yep i sure am!

uld just blame some random "Christopher Bradbury"

Ahahaha i was thinking that but i doubt he has a massive beard :)

Sadly those are not in front of all cameras in every region

Yes it was one of them thin grey "poles" not far from £eba dammit
poland_  
11 Jul 2011 /  #6
It's actually muuuuch easier than that - because in Poland, the points are linked to the PESEL, rather than the licence - just go to the police station, own up and they'll deal with it there and then.

The above is the correct advice, they are not interested in the points from a foreigner, they want the money for the fine. They will have sent the owner of the car a mandate, there will be a telephone number on there, phone them up, explain you are the guilty party and you are a Brit, they will ask you to come down and pay the fine. Normally that is the end of.
OP Ajb  6 | 231  
11 Jul 2011 /  #7
Normally that is the end of.

Brilliant! I will get him to sort it out! Thanks guys :)
Paladine  3 | 29  
29 Mar 2016 /  #8
Merged: Speeding Ticket from Speed Camera

Soooo, I got a speeding ticket from one of those speed cameras (first one in my life) and all the paperwork has come in but it is all in Polish. Also I have a UK license not Polish so how do I handle this? I have been fined 100PLN + 4 Points but Polish licenses are different to English licenses (you get more points from what I understand) so how does this work?

Any help appreciated.
welshmaninpola  
29 Mar 2016 /  #9
You cannot get points on your UK licence, end of
Dougpol1  29 | 2497  
29 Mar 2016 /  #10
Any help appreciated.

Yes. Put it on the "pending" pile and forget about it - and get on with real life and its myriad little ups and downs.

Honestly.
dolnoslask  5 | 2809  
29 Mar 2016 /  #11
Were you driving a car on Polish plates?, do you have a registered address in Poland?.

I have never known a Polish speeding ticket got to a uk address for a car on uk plates.
Harry  
29 Mar 2016 /  #12
so how does this work?

Pay the fine and don't worry about the points. Your points will be filed against your NIP number but they can't be added to your British licence.
Paladine  3 | 29  
29 Mar 2016 /  #13
Yes the car is on Polish plates and yes I have a registered address here (in fact the car is registered to me). I was told I don't need to get a Polish license as my English one is sufficient. So I just fill in the paperwork and send it off? I don't have NIP only PESEL.
dolnoslask  5 | 2809  
29 Mar 2016 /  #14
Best pay the fine , they can't add points to your British licence, I am not sure about the NIP situation.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
29 Mar 2016 /  #15
You cannot get points on your UK licence, end of

Not "end of". He now has a 'ghost licence' created, which has 4 points on it.

So I just fill in the paperwork and send it off? I don't have NIP only PESEL.

Yup, just send it off. They'll link the points to your PESEL (in fact, everyone has points linked to their PESEL or ID number in the absence of a PESEL) and that's that. You've got 24 points a year to play with, so no stress.
welshmaninpolan  
29 Mar 2016 /  #16
Not "end of". He now has a 'ghost licence' created, which has 4 points on it.

Which means basically he cant get points.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
29 Mar 2016 /  #17
Which means basically he cant get points.

No. He gets 24 points in Poland, they will take his licence and return it to the UK with the information that he's been banned from driving in Poland. He'll then be subject to the Polish rules surrounding regaining his licence - or he can recover his UK licence which is now banned from being used on Polish roads.
welshguyinpola  23 | 463  
29 Mar 2016 /  #18
Not what I was told by the police themselves. THey told me they have no power to touch a UK license. Their words not mine
Dougpol1  29 | 2497  
29 Mar 2016 /  #19
UK licence which is now banned from being used on Polish roads.

Sorry? Don't understand.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
29 Mar 2016 /  #20
Basically, if they confiscate your licence (because you've lost it under the Polish rules) - they take it off you and send it back to the UK (or the Embassy, I forget which...) with a note that you've been banned from driving in Poland. You can obviously ask for it back, but the ban still applies and they've got a record of it.

So if you want to drive again in Poland, you need to unban yourself - which means doing a Polish driving test or whatever the rules require you to do.
Harry  
29 Mar 2016 /  #21
I don't have NIP only PESEL.

Sorry, my mistake: I meant to write PESEL (I personally have a NIP instead of a PESEL, perhaps you can guess why).
Paladine  3 | 29  
30 Mar 2016 /  #22
Thanks for the help everyone, it is very reassuring. I wish there was some way to get them to provide english copies of documents like these.
Dougpol1  29 | 2497  
30 Mar 2016 /  #23
So if you want to drive again in Poland, you need to unban yourself - which means doing a Polish driving test or whatever

I think that would be ILLEGAL under EU rules Delph. Once you've served your ban, your licence would be returned to you> doesn't matter if it's from Timbuktu.

Anyway, if anybody should be banned permanently, then it's half the population of Katowice. I returned for the holiday and I had forgotten what plebs they are on the roads:(
dolnoslask  5 | 2809  
30 Mar 2016 /  #24
Maybe Poland needs more speeding cameras / police

Dougpo you were lucky

Dangerous Easter on Polish roads

Eighteen people were killed and 179 were injured in 142 road accidents across Poland on Good Friday and Easter Saturday, a time when Poles traditionally head off for family gatherings.

detained 510 drink-drivers over the two days.

- See more at: thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/246360,Dangerous-Easter-on-Polish-roads#sthash.sRbeokJk.dpuf
Harry  
30 Mar 2016 /  #25
I wish there was some way to get them to provide english copies of documents like these.

Well, it isn't as if UK authorities make documents available in Polish. Oh, wait a minute....

Depending on how highly you value your time, you could just walk into the nearest police station and ask them to translate the documents; eventually they will provide an interpreter.

Once you've served your ban, your licence would be returned to you

Under UK law not if the ban is more than eight weeks; if it's more than 8 weeks, you have to apply for your licence to be re-instated. And you can also be ordered to retake your test after your ban expires.
Dougpol1  29 | 2497  
30 Mar 2016 /  #26
And you can also be ordered to retake your test after your ban expires.

Yes - nothing new there - but if you read the law on retaking the test, it applies to wilful disobedience, such as causing a serious accident by dangerous driving, or being well over the drink drive limit.

Neither of which we can hope would apply here.
nutyo  - | 1  
3 May 2016 /  #27
Is there any official website which we can check if there is a penalty on our car ( registration number on plate number ) ?

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