EU driver slapped with London emissions fines totalling £25,000

[Coolcats]

I saw a link yesterday highlighting LEZ zones in Europe, plus reflecting on speeding fines issued in Europe, I suspect we all need to consider the implications of either entering a EU LEZ zone and the possible fines issued.

Couple of links

Link 1

Link 2

Personally I think we pay enough in car and fuel tax without the LEZ zone fines, however I suspect the UK and Europe will become one giant LEZ zone the closer we get to 2030/35

 

[Stealaway]

I know of a French couple who have amassed a £10,000 fine from a few days in London as "they wasn't aware of any of the charges"
It seems there is a whole group of French drivers are trying to organise a pressure group and solicitor to get them all cancelled.

 

[georgio]

I read that too, everything is getting too complicated , and anti motorist

 

[The Wino]

I suppose that the easy answer is drive an EV and don't speed

 

[pagey]

How long would that take from france

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[The Wino]

How long would that take from france

Not far off the same as any other vehicle. My best friend from school has a BMW EV as a company car he went to Belgium for a weekend and said it was no real problem. I've yet to see lots of stranded EVs despite all the stories I think there's a very anti element of the press who think we all ought to continue polluting as much as possible!

 

[Odd-no-more]

I suppose that the easy answer is drive an EV and don't speed

Sadly not that simple, so many bus lanes box junctions 'safe streets ' etc, all with money generating cameras, it's not easy to avoid a fine there's days. In all the years of doing service calls I am pleased that I avoided paying the motorist's taxes apart from one parking ticket and one time being clamped. I doubt it would be possible to do 7 or 8 calls a day and drive the milage I used to do without getting more 'taxes' these days.

 

[dryad]

well i guess when these 15 minute city things come into being everywhere with everything we need within that distance/time frame, we'll not need cars, mohos, bicycles even...............

.

 

[Odd-no-more]

Here in Southampton "they" are very anti-car, traffic lights are set to cause unnecessary hold ups, the intention is to create enough pollution so "they" can start charging us for it. But the lights hold up EV's as well and of course busses too.

 

[jongood]

Here in Southampton "they" are very anti-car, traffic lights are set to cause unnecessary hold ups, the intention is to create enough pollution so "they" can start charging us for it. But the lights hold up EV's as well and of course busses too.

I strongly suspect Shrewsbury are doing this, I'm noticing long delays with no traffic moving on some junctions.

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[Brains]

If TFL and other councils that run LEZ zone tolls and parking fines actually wanted to collect the fines from non-UK registered vehicles, then it would be very easy to put an ANPR camera at the Dover and Folkestone terminals (which would cover the vast majority of the vehicles) and simply ask for the money at Customs.

But that would be far too simple.
It's much easier to ask for crazy fines and ensure that it's reported all over Europe and so reduce our the UK tourism levels (which are down about 75% on pre pandemic levels) even further.

 

[Odd-no-more]

If TFL and other councils that run LEZ zone tolls and parking fines actually wanted to collect the fines from non-UK registered vehicles, then it would be very easy to put an ANPR camera at the Dover and Folkestone terminals (which would cover the vast majority of the vehicles) and simply ask for the money at Customs.

But that would be far too simple.
It's much easier to ask for crazy fines and ensure that it's reported all over Europe and so reduce our the UK tourism levels (which are down about 75% on pre pandemic levels) even further.

Unfortunately one arm of government has no interest in helping any other part of government or the country, or anything al all .

 

[SpeedyDux]

I suppose that the easy answer is drive an EV and don't speed

EVs are not exempt from London's Congestion Charge.

EVs will not be exempt from the proposed fines for crossing from one Zone to another in 15-minute "smart" cities.

Can you honestly say, hand on heart, that you have never speeded in one of the urban 20 mph zones?

 

[The Wino]

EVs are not exempt from London's Congestion Charge.

EVs will not be exempt from the proposed fines for crossing from one Zone to another in 15-minute "smart" cities.

Can you honestly say, hand on heart, that you have never speeded in one of the urban 20 mph zones?

No I can't but neither would I complain if fined I'd just say it's a fair cop and pay up.

 

[The Wino]

Here in Southampton "they" are very anti-car, traffic lights are set to cause unnecessary hold ups, the intention is to create enough pollution so "they" can start charging us for it. But the lights hold up EV's as well and of course busses too.

That's a really good idea a fast track lane for ev,s and busses. It would do a lot to encourage ev take up without a lot of infrastructure.

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[Realist]

That's a really good idea a fast track lane for ev,s and busses. It would do a lot to encourage ev take up without a lot of infrastructure.

And eventually all the bus lanes get clogged up with EVs and busses can't move and we're back to square one.

Just scrap the lot and let people live their lives without all this bullsh*t.

 

[Lenny HB]

Here in Southampton "they" are very anti-car, traffic lights are set to cause unnecessary hold ups, the intention is to create enough pollution so "they" can start charging us for it. But the lights hold up EV's as well and of course busses too.

If you think Southampton is bad, try Brighton. They have had an anti car council for over 40 years.

 

[SpeedyDux]

No I can't but neither would I complain if fined I'd just say it's a fair cop and pay up.

A fixed penalty fine and 3 points. Your insurance premiums will go up significantly as well, merely because you were caught committing a victimless crime. Some insurers will treat attendance at a driving awareness course as equivalent to accepting the fixed penalty.

I was OK with 20 mph zones outside schools during the hours when pupils were arriving or leaving. Since then, these zones have proliferated, for reasons that are not easily understood nor justifiable except in terms of the creeping war on cars. A classic example of the thin end of the wedge. The same goes for emissions zones of all kinds. The excuses about reducing emissions / climate change are just that. Mere excuses to gull the public into acceptance of the overweening desire to control everything and everyone until private cars are reserved for the elites.

 

[2x2camper]

I was OK with 20 mph zones outside schools during the hours when pupils were arriving or leaving. Since then, these zones have proliferated, for reasons that are not easily understood

Thought it was quite easy. Hit a person at 20 mph they are more likely to survive.

Edit. Rather than a higher speed.

 

[chaser]

With all the good intentions aside, why is every new law and rules and everything in modern life under the climate change banner, being set up to make our life now harder ,dearer and just about more miserable?

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[SpeedyDux]

Thought it was quite easy. Hit a person at 20 mph they are more likely to survive.

That's OK outside schools as I said. Where the risk is probably highest.

Why is the limit everywhere else still as high as 20 mph? Why not go the whole hog, and ban all vehicles and pedestrianise all the roads? That's the logical end point.

There have been reports of deaths caused by errant cyclists running into pedestrians, and deaths involving electric scooters (limited to 15 mph). You can't make roads and pavements 100% safe. My point being that the balance of safety versus sensible road use has tilted too far against motorists.

 

[Odd-no-more]

That's a really good idea a fast track lane for ev,s and busses. It would do a lot to encourage ev take up without a lot of infrastructure.

No a really good idea would be, as most counties manage, to have good affordable and reliable public transport, including trains, so we don't need to get in the car for every trip.

 

[chaser]

Buses and trains don't go exactly where you want to go though that's the problem and if you live anywhere like here they don't run at all.

No a really good idea would be, as most counties manage, to have good affordable and reliable public transport, including trains, so we don't need to get in the car for every trip.

 

[2x2camper]

That's OK outside schools as I said. Where the risk is probably highest.

Why is the limit everywhere else still as high as 20 mph? Why not go the whole hog, and ban all vehicles and pedestrianise all the roads? That's the logical end point.

There have been reports of deaths caused by errant cyclists running into pedestrians, and deaths involving electric scooters (limited to 15 mph). You can't make roads and pavements 100% safe. My point being that the balance of safety versus sensible road use has tilted too far against motorists.

Because there are people everywhere.

What does it matter if it takes a few minutes more to get some where.

I think you will find that motorists kill alot more people than cyclists or scooter riders, alot more.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

That's OK outside schools as I said. Where the risk is probably highest.

Why is the limit everywhere else still as high as 20 mph? Why not go the whole hog, and ban all vehicles and pedestrianise all the roads? That's the logical end point.

There have been reports of deaths caused by errant cyclists running into pedestrians, and deaths involving electric scooters (limited to 15 mph). You can't make roads and pavements 100% safe. My point being that the balance of safety versus sensible road use has tilted too far against motorists.

We need a bloke walking in front of each and every car waving a red flag.

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[SpeedyDux]

Because there are people everywhere.

What does it matter if it takes a few minutes more to get some where.

I think you will find that motorists kill alot more people than cyclists or scooter riders, alot more.

Is there a source for that? I would be interested to find a comparison between deaths per 1,000,000 miles for each of these modes of transport.

 

[jongood]

That's OK outside schools as I said. Where the risk is probably highest.

Why is the limit everywhere else still as high as 20 mph? Why not go the whole hog, and ban all vehicles and pedestrianise all the roads? That's the logical end point.

There have been reports of deaths caused by errant cyclists running into pedestrians, and deaths involving electric scooters (limited to 15 mph). You can't make roads and pavements 100% safe. My point being that the balance of safety versus sensible road use has tilted too far against motorists.

I would love to know the accident rate for electric scooters. Its absolute madness. they're a danger to themselves on the road because they have zero protection and a very real danger to everyone on the pavement because they're so fast.

 

[The Wino]

No a really good idea would be, as most counties manage, to have good affordable and reliable public transport, including trains, so we don't need to get in the car for every trip.

I'd say that as well.

 

[ctc]

Sadly not that simple, so many bus lanes box junctions 'safe streets ' etc, all with money generating cameras, it's not easy to avoid a fine there's days. In all the years of doing service calls I am pleased that I avoided paying the motorist's taxes apart from one parking ticket and one time being clamped. I doubt it would be possible to do 7 or 8 calls a day and drive the milage I used to do without getting more 'taxes' these days.

I think if you're caught by a fixed camera you need your eyesight tested.

 

[pappajohn]

Some insurers will treat attendance at a driving awareness course as equivalent to accepting the fixed penalty.

Only if you tell them.
They have no right of access to the speed awareness data base and nothing is recorded on the DVLA database so they don't know you attended a course

Do I have to tell my insurance provider?​

You don’t legally have to tell your insurance provider that you’ve been on a speed awareness course unless they specifically ask you. If they do, you must be honest or you could invalidate your car insurance.

You won’t be asked when starting a quote with us, as a speed. awareness course isn’t classed as a driving conviction. Course data is held by UKROEd and not the DVLA, so it won’t be on your driving record and can’t be checked by insurance providers.

However, you must declare any unspent driving convictions and points on your licence.

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