Driving in Europe on a UK licence?

[Isambard]

I personally don't drive but know of a LOT of people who have to swap theirlicences. Continuing to hold a UK licence when it should have been switched to another one can invalidate your insurance.

As driving licences are issued as an EU standard now anyway, I don't see de jure see a problem of having points standardised, even bans enforced EU wide. I mean if you commit (say) a murder crime in France you can't just leg it back to the UK and claim immunity cos you aren't in France any more.

In practice there would have to be a clean up of the operating tactics of some policing operations.

 

[microbabe]

I was over there a few months back with my parents. My old man overshot the turn for the motel we were staying on 192 outside Kissimme. Rather than going around to the next junction, retracing his steps and trying again he pulled out and drove back the 30/40 yards to the Motel at night against the flow of traffic

Guess what car he decided to start this game of chicken with ? Yep, the local sheriff, straight out in front of him

Mum & myself were pissing ourselves in the car as Dad got out and got a five minute tongue lashing from this rather irate "Foghorn Leghorn esque" copper.

Still, the jammy bugger got away with it. I think my Dad's irish accent is so strong the copper couldn't really understand him !!

While I was over in Oct I got stopped for doing 76 in a 55 zone. The Sherrif let me off after asking me if I could slow down or prefer to pay the $250 fine. We agreed that I could drive slower. It was more effective than the speed cameras over here, because for the next week I drove to the limit all the time whereas here I slow down for the few seconds passing the camera, then back to normal.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

When I was in Aus I got busted for speeding. Next time I phoned home my worried mum wanted to know why the NSW police department was trying to get in touch with me. In the end I payed the fines as I hear it can cause complications if you want to go back, but no points on my license.