Thousands of Polish drivers returning from vacation live in the mistaken belief that abroad photo-radar or instruction from a police officer is simply a closed matter. Nothing more wrong. The European data exchange strategy works with inexorable precision and the mandate letter is only a substance of time. Many of us, accustomed to local realities, ignore this fact, which can lead to very painful financial consequences. Forgetting a vacation overspeed in France or Austria is simply a simple way to an unpleasant surprise that waits in the mailbox a fewer weeks or even months after returning home. The strategy is tight and EU services have effective tools to scope all owner of a vehicle registered in Poland.
How does the European strategy work? It's just a substance of time.
The rate at which abroad tickets scope Poland is very different and depends on the bureaucratic efficiency of the country. Germany is an absolute evidence holder – their calls for payment can appear in our box after 3 weeks from the date of the offence. This is the consequence of an highly efficient administration that does not let for postponement.
The situation in confederate Europe is completely different. If you “catch” us photoradar in Italy or Spain, we can wait up to 5 to six months for the letter. That's long adequate to completely forget the incident, which makes the surprise even more severe. The French place somewhere in the middle, sending correspondence usually in 2 or 3 months. Theoretically, EU government gives the authorities 180 days to service the mandate, but practice shows that this word can be interpreted differently.
It's easy to admit a letter like that. It's always this consignment sent for acknowledgement of receipt. Inside we will find a detailed description of the offence, a precise amount of punishment and instructions for payment. In the case of photo-radar mandates, the accompanying photograph of the vehicle is simply a key element. It is worth verifying them thoroughly and making certain that the registration numbers in the photograph actually belong to our car.
Foreign parking tickets hurt twice. See how much you pay
The biggest shock for Polish drivers is the ticket rates, which in many European countries are many times higher than in Poland. Overspeed 20-30 km/h in Austria costs EUR 50 (about PLN 220), which is already a noticeable amount. But this is only the beginning. The same mistake made in France will cost us a minimum of 135 euros, i.e. nearly PLN 600.
But there is simply a way to save money. Most countries apply a fast payment discount scheme. If we settle the claim within a fewer or a twelve days of receiving the request, the amount of the mandate may be reduced by up to 50%. That's a powerful argument for not putting things off for later. Ignoring a call is the worst strategy possible. The substance will inevitably go to court, and the first punishment will be increased by the advanced costs of legal proceedings, which frequently outweigh the value of the mandate itself.
CEPIK is the key to data. How do abroad services find you?
Many drivers wonder how abroad police are able to identify the Polish owner so easily. The answer is simple: all thanks to the EU information exchange strategy and the Polish database CEPiK (Central Vehicle and Driver Records). erstwhile a photo-radar in Portugal or a patrol in Estonia records a vehicle's offence on the Polish plates, their services send an enquiry to the National Contact Point operating at CEPiK.
The full procedure is mostly automated. The Polish authority is obliged to supply details of the owner of the vehicle, including his name, surname and address of residence. This information is then transmitted back to the country where the offence was committed, which allows the mandate to be issued and sent. This strategy operates throughout the European Union, which means that no associate State is excluded from this procedure. Borders have ceased to be a barrier to road enforcement.
An unpaid ticket is simply a ticking bomb. What are the chances of ignoring a subpoena?
The belief that an unpaid abroad mandate simply "will disappear" is highly dangerous. The claim will not be forgotten, and its consequences may come to us at the least anticipated moment. Any further visit to the country where we committed the offence becomes risky. During a regular traffic check, a police officer will easy check in the strategy that there is an outstanding debt in our account.
At best, we will be asked to immediately pay the outstanding amount with interest. In utmost but not uncommon cases, officers may decide to halt the vehicle until the debt is full settled. specified a situation during a household vacation can turn vacation into a real logistical and financial nightmare.
It is besides worth remembering long deadlines. Depending on the country, they are:
- Austria and Germany: 3 years
- France, Italy, Netherlands: 5 years
Throughout this period, the outstanding ticket is an active debt that hangs over us like the sword of Damocles.
You can defend yourself, but there is 1 condition. You only have 14 days
Getting a mandate does not always mean that we gotta pay it unquestionably. If there are formal errors in the paper – for example incorrect vehicle data, incorrect date or incorrect transportation procedure – we have the right to appeal. But time is crucial. We usually only have 14 days to file an appeal after receiving the registered letter. Overshooting that word closes the way to defense.
An appeal shall be lodged in an authoritative language with the authority which issued the mandate. This may be a challenge, but in case of apparent mistakes it is worth trying. Sometimes it's adequate to prove that on the day of the offense, our car was in a completely different place so that the punishment would be cancelled. However, if the mandate is justified, the simplest solution is payment. Currently, most countries let simple online transfers utilizing IBAN code, which greatly simplifies the full process.
Fortunately, there is besides 1 good news. Cross-border offences do not consequence in the crediting of punishment points to the Polish account. The punishment is purely financial. This is an crucial difference compared to the Polish system, where punishment points are frequently a more severe consequence than the fine itself.
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No more impunity abroad. The European strategy will track all Polish driver!
