Some further research on any link between high speeding fines and fewer accidents would be useful for insurers. In the meantime, here’s the raw data on typical fines.
Speeding tickets are a very common deterrent against speeding used around the world, but the amount that speeding drivers are charged varies from country to country. DiscoverCars.com has conducted new research that compares the fines that drivers are charged across Europe.
DiscoverCars.com created the ranking by identifying a common speed limit in urban areas, 50 km/h, and researching what different European countries would fine drivers for exceeding that limit by 14 km/h. In some countries there is no fine for speeding by 10 km/h, making this a suitable benchmark for the study.
The findings showed that Norway had the most expensive fine for speeding by this much, with drivers receiving a fine of €476. This is followed by Switzerland, where drivers would be fined €266. In third place is Sweden, with a fine of €207. Only just behind Sweden is Denmark where the fine for exceeding the limit by 14 km/h would be €201.
In fifth place was Finland, where drivers exceeding a 50 km/h speed limit by 14 km/h would be fined €170.
The Netherlands was next, fining drivers €146, followed by Italy, where the fine is €143. Drivers breaking the speed limit by this amount in Slovenia would pay €125. In ninth place, the fine in Hungary would be €123 – and rounding off the top ten, the United Kingdom would fine drivers by €120.
Aleksandrs Buraks, Head of Growth at DiscoverCars.com, comments:
“We were interested to see just how much fines for speeding varied across Europe. We chose as our benchmark the offense of exceeding a 50 km/h speed limit by 14 km/h. In many cases, the penalty is hundreds of euros. It just goes to show how serious these offenses are, and how seriously the law takes it when drivers break the speed limits that are there to keep everyone safe.
“As well as fines, drivers around Europe face penalties like points on their license, and having their vehicle confiscated – and perhaps even auctioned off if they are in Austria or Denmark. If you will be renting a car on your next trip abroad, make sure that you are familiar with the local laws on driving offenses including speeding. Drivers should look out carefully for speed limit signs when traveling abroad on unfamiliar roads, as they can vary in size and appearance in different countries.”
Advice for drivers who receive a speeding ticket abroad
DiscoverCars.com also had some tips to share with drivers who had received a speeding ticket while driving abroad in Europe.
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Drivers should be aware that a body called Eucaris (the European Car and Driving Licence Information System) handles international penalties. This system means that drivers who were caught speeding in a European country they are not resident in can still be fined, with Eucaris making sure that the speeding ticket reaches them.
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While drivers typically won’t have points added to their license when they are caught speeding abroad, meaning that this will not affect them at home, they might still have points added to their record in that country. This means that they might find they are banned or temporarily restricted from driving in that country if they return, which could have an impact on drivers who periodically return to a country for work or visiting family and friends.
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Lastly, drivers should be mindful of any factors that could cause their fine to increase. If the fine is not paid in a set amount of time, which may vary based on the laws of the country where the speeding offense took place, it might go up. If the driver was speeding in a rental car, they might find that it is the rental company who passes the fine on to them in the post at home – potentially with an administrative fee added on.
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