Speeding still reasonably priced in Germany!

"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
06/20/2015 at 18:06 • Filed to: None

Got a letter from 5-0 in Brandenburg (it’s a flyover state, if such a thing exists in Germany) today, inquiring who piloted my vehicle while it was clocked doing 129 in a 100 zone on some Autobahn. I was a bit surprised. 10 over the limit? Yeah, that sounds like me, but 29 over including the deduction (they admit that their equipment is only 9x,x % accurate, so they automatically deduct 2-3 kph or 2-3 %) is weird. Admittedly, I was in a bit of a hurry on that trip, so it’s not completely impossible. Maybe, I just didn’t notice the signs. There are parts where they switch from 100 to 120 to 80 to 120 every few kms, so whatever.

I immediately hit the googles to see how bad it is, and if there is a suspension of my license heading my way. € 80, 1 point on my license, no suspension. 30-49 over would be € 120, 1 point, no suspension. 40 over gets you a 1 month pit stop. I think that this is still rather reasonable.

They made the system “harder” about a year ago. I can now only get 8 points on my license. As my old points have loooong been erased (I got points three times now, always 5-10 years apart), there’s nothing to worry about.

Also, keep in mind that this doesn’t affect my insurance at all. Speeding tickets or even points on the license don’t get reported to insurance companies and therefore don’t affect premiums.

DISCUSSION (16)

Steve in Manhattan > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 18:12

Yet another reason to move away from US America - but alas, I am stuck here.

Steve in Manhattan > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 18:13

Oh - and the vehicle in question?

Klaus Schmoll > Steve in Manhattan
06/20/2015 at 18:19

Kinja'd!!!

Old Euro-Accord.

Steve in Manhattan > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 18:21

So 90s curvy ....

dogisbadob > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 18:21

Just say “I dunno nothin” since they can’t seem to prove who was driving it!

Blondude > Steve in Manhattan
06/20/2015 at 18:26

Story of my life.

dogisbadob > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 18:38

yeah that VTEC kicks in too strong sometimes :p

duurtlang > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 18:39

I got 2 tickets in the last few years. Both in 2014, both from Germany, a 119 in a 100 and a 89 in a 70. I simply got them in the mail. No points, €30 a piece I believe. Compared to the Netherlands this is laughably low, 19 over would be in the €150-175 range here. I did find it strange that I simply got these (foreign!) tickets in the mail, in a foreign language. They also required a payment within a week iirc, which is rather comical if you’re temporarily residing abroad and they send the ticket to your home address. Anyway, I paid both when I got the chance. Never heard back from them.

My second ticket that year, the 89 in a 70, was a tax trap imho. I was in rural Warstein, late at night (dark), on an unlit 100 km/h road. Suddenly a flash, and a few meters later an end-70 sign meaning I could do 100 again. I never spotted the 70 sign.

Klaus Schmoll > dogisbadob
06/20/2015 at 18:50

I might be able to do that once, at most maybe twice, but then court will require a driver’s logbook. People I know have been there, done that and were successful. It is a lot lot of money to fight such a ticket in court, and only worth it if your license and with it your job is at stake. So I will pay, be a tiny bit more cautious and live on.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 18:56

Im so happy I live in a state that doesn’t use a points system. That said the last time I got a ticket was 2011

Klaus Schmoll > duurtlang
06/20/2015 at 19:06

Yeah, sudden change of speed limits with just one sign to catch speeders create some revenue is what I think this was. It’s still rather reasonably priced, so fighting it in court is a no-go. They have this new EU system that allows them to enforce tickets from other member states.

About ten to 15 years ago, a friend of mine was called to the local police. They told him that there was a speeding ticket from Austria and asked him if he wanted to say something about it, urging him to stay calm. He said “No”. They said that they would report that. Months later he got a letter that he would be banned from driving in Austria for a year, no fine.

Just imagine doing 29 over in France! They really mean business.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 19:13

In Virginia that would probably get you the death penalty.

duurtlang > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 19:14

It would be rather unpleasant for me to receive a driving ban in Germany, that and the low cost of the fines made me pay them instantly.

My brother in law, a German, studied here in the Netherlands. He had his car with German plates with him. He received drawers full of parking tickets and the like and didn’t pay a dime. Partly because he needed a parking permit, but couldn’t get one due to the foreign plates. I believe he told me there was a difference in enforcement between local (parking) and regional/national (highways) tickets. This was 2001-2010 or so.

ly2v8-Brian > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 19:50

Yet another advantage. I got fined $140 for ten over here.

M54B30 > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 20:04

I used to get a bunch of €15 tickets (10 km/h over or so) in the mail and went on with my life. Then i got one asking who was in the attached picture and going through an 80km/h construction zone at 140 km/h in Mainz while talking on a cell phone. I looked over and over the letter and couldn’t find the ticket amount or Überweisung form. I wrote back saying “that’s me!”

Flensburg sent me ANOTHER love letter with instructions to surrender my license for 30 days within the next 4 months, 4 points, and €180 i think. That was a looooong month.

DrScientist > Klaus Schmoll
06/20/2015 at 21:57

that is completely reasonable. i recently received a $179 ticket/fine because i forgot to put my registration sticker on my license plate.