Poll or info: speed cameras/tickets while on ED

[ms330]

Quick poll/info: of recent EDs (last 2 years or so), how many people have actually gotten a real speeding ticket either from a speed camera or a real polizei? any stories or info on what happened, how much, how it ended up?

[Corren]

No tickets, didn't speed.

[chrischeung]

Run a search.

Just stick to the autobahn unlimited stretches - you can't get a speeding ticket then. Otherwise, follow the limit.

[Gig103]

I got pulled over by the Polizei in Austria. Here was what I wrote up in my original thread (http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3214744&postcount=22).

Good thing I already had my vignette, it happened just over the border, I would have had an additional fine. Also, they will tell you at the Welt that the police have the right to pull you over even if you were doing nothing wrong to inspect your documents.

France had a lot of speed cameras, but they are all predated by signs warning you - "For your protection" and a picture of a camera. But they don't actually tell you where the camera is so you have to be on the lookout until you find it, before you can speed up again (if you dare -- 120kph is a perfectly reasonable speed IMO).

[obelix]

I got a ticket in Switzerland (near Basel) from a speed camera. Ended up being about $50 all told; the only hassles were that a) the initial communication was entirely in German, and even the local government's website didn't have anything in any other language (French would have made my life easier) and b) the only method I saw for paying the ticket was inter-bank transfer, which would have added at least $25 to the cost. (ETA: the ticket was for doing, IIRC, either 7 or 12 km/hour over the speed limit.)

I eventually received a letter in English directing me to pay the ticket and including a form I could fax back with my credit card information.

I got flashed by speed cameras twice in France but haven't received any tickets yet, and I may well end up getting tickets from Italy as well, particularly for driving in the limited traffic zone in Florence. (I only did that on the days we checked into and out of our hotel, which is legal, so hopefully it won't be too painful...)

[drkumar]

got a speeding ticket in austria even though i had my vignette. didn't know there was a speed limit. then got pulled over by "german civil police" no more than 40 minutes later just to inspect my documents. left a real sour taste in my mouth at the end of the ED.

[ms330]

Thanks guys... I did do the search and read about obelix and gig103. I guess I was more interested in the speed camera thing, and there was a lot of speculation and banter in the prior posts, not many real-world experience posts.

When I was over in Europe for my ED (7 countries) I was using Nav n Go's iGo 8 and downloaded a pretty decent speed camera database. It worked fairly well (it marked highway safety cameras on the autobahn, for example, as speed cameras even though I'm fairly certain they're not traditional speed cameras). I did see quite a few red light and speed cameras in Prague and Vienna inside and on the outskirts of the city... sneaky bastards would put an innocuous-looking gray box but the camera and radar was pointed at your rear *after* you passed. I should have taken a picture to post it on this forum but never stopped to do it.

Eventually I had to turned off the speed camera warnings because there were just too many warnings and some bugs... but it definitely felt like these camera/radar setups were all over the place.

[JohnnyRoaster]

I bought a Inforad gps speed camera detector for my trip. It was only about $50 and saved me a couple of times. I would be happy to loan it to anybody that PMs me. Most of the camera are pretty well marked and I didn't see any red flashes. I have been back for two weeks and I haven't seen any tickets yet. If I don't see any by the end of June I will consider myself ticket free.

[turpiwa]

Don't know yet - jsut got back - but I have a sneaking suspicion I may have some mail heading my way!
Just don't tell the missus! :eek:

[AggieKnight]

Don't know yet - jsut got back - but I have a sneaking suspicion I may have some mail heading my way!
Just don't tell the missus! :eek:

Turp, you're copying me again! I was just about to type that almost exactly.

You not only stole my id...I think you stole my thoughts. :mad:

(I wouldn't have mispelled "jsut" though)

[guppyflyer]

No tickets on either ED, didn't speed...............................much! :angel:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b3db02b3127cced57a1d5af22700000010O08AcMWzFq2bsw e3nws/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

http://ahqigq.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pUBZZ1_r89jSID9iStfGDAA-0v7Nd4js7dYmoeXTte_7NrRxd9teb-pgYIiuh6yeS3FHT1trVwFmdMQeeftnPng/IMG_1180small.JPG

Erik

[turpiwa]

Turp, you're copying me again! I was just about to type that almost exactly.

You not only stole my id...I think you stole my thoughts. :mad:

(I wouldn't have mispelled "jsut" though)

That's just wierd!

[Snareman]

Yea, I'm hoping for the best with my recent trip. The thing I noticed is that people there REALLY adhere to the speedlimits. If you're in a 120 zone and you get to an 80, everyone brakes to slow down. No coasting down, they brake. Rolf was telling me they recently doubled the fines.

[rahul09]

No tickets on either ED, didn't speed...............................much! :angel:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b3db02b3127cced57a1d5af22700000010O08AcMWzFq2bsw e3nws/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Erik

Erik,

The owner's manual mandates a break-in period of 1200 miles where you should not exceed 4500 rpm or 100 mph. The car's computer keeps track of any violations.

Did you see any trouble with service etc. at your dealer due to crossing 100 mph?

[Snareman]

Erik,

The owner's manual mandates a break-in period of 1200 miles where you should not exceed 4500 rpm or 100 mph. The car's computer keeps track of any violations.

Did you see any trouble with service etc. at your dealer due to crossing 100 mph?

I got close to 140 last time and no issues over 2 years.

[ms330]

the first pic is the cockpit of what car model?

[ttgxc]

the first pic is the cockpit of what car model?

Looks like a Volvo to me.

[guppyflyer]

Looks like a Volvo to me.

Ding...ding....ding....we have a winner! :rofl:

The car and "THE" castle! :angel:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b3db00b3127cced57e6e8e833b00000010O38AcMWzFq2bsw e3nws/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D3/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

[gmlav8r]

Got pulled over just past the south end of A95 (towards Garmish). Went through a 120kph sign at about 230kph, comming from an unrestricted section. I was slowing to the speed limit at a casual rate. I saw a woman standing by the sign. I figued cops, then about 2 miles down the road where it turns into a two lane road I saw the pull over sign. As I pulled over, I had already thoughts to buy a frame to put my autobahn speeding ticket on the wall at home.

They just said they want to check my VIN number to make sure the car was not stolen. They said alot of cars dissapear to other countries. I understood, I was singled out because of the goofy zoll plates on my car. I still remember them saying apologizing for taking so long to verify my car was not stolen, we have to call in the numbers to HQ to verify.

In summary it was a pleasnt no cost experience. :thumbup:

[BDWBMW]

We got pulled over in the town just North of Garmish last month. My wife was driving and she started crying because she thought she was getting a ticket with only 50 miles on the car. Same deal, papers please and no problem just funny plates near the border have a nice day. I tell people she got pulled over within 50 miles of getting the car but don't tell them why. :D

[ms330]

@bdwbmw, haha, that's hysterical! i'm glad it worked out and you probably got a lot of mileage out of that story.

@gmlav8r, heard the same thing from the dude who gave me my keys at welt. he said esp. in italy (he said they don't accept dropoff in Italy because of this, but I thought you could do it but just pay more... whatever, didn't bring it up) car gangs can disassemble a brand new 3er in about 10-15 minutes flat and get it out on a ship for China or eastern europe that same night, and that the car export plates are dead giveaways. he reiterated, over and over, to always have the keys and ED paperwork in your possession and never locked in the car or you'd be screwed!

[SJAPoc]

I also downloaded GPS Speed Camera info that probably helped avoid a speeding ticket. It was quite entertaining actually, as we found ourselves looking for the "boxes" after the warnings flashed on the screen. Most of our road trip was very much off the beaten track, so the likelihood of getting caught speeding was somewhat remote as cameras are seldom installed on the very rural Alpine roller coasters. Portable cameras though are another story when it comes down to GPS warnings :eek: Although the database is updated constantly, you always run the risk of being among the first casualties. We were stopped for a document check in Austria as well, due to the Zoll plates.

[jd325]

I've sped all over the place, except in Switzerland, and never had any fines make their way back home. I tend to limit myself to 30km/h indicated over though, mostly stay with the traffic and slow down if there are camera signs.

And ALWAYS drive slowly through villages.

[JSpira]

Many radio stations broadcast information about where photo radar is on Autobahnen. It pays to listen to local radio stations when driving.

[SJAPoc]

Many radio stations broadcast information about where photo radar is on Autobahnen. It pays to understand German radio stations when driving.

Fixed :angel:

[b-y]

... We were stopped for a document check in Austria as well, due to the Zoll plates.

This seems more common than I would have expected. Our family has several theories:

Expensive new cars heading eastward on Zoll plates are stopped in Austria as the theft rate is high.
Americans dress like European car thieves. (Ms. b-y's theory.)
It is all part of the "tourist experience". You get to have a uniformed Polizei officier yell "Papieren bitte!" at you, just as in the WWII movies. (My theory.) :angel:

[DonnaBlackson]

I plan on doing 65 mph...maybe 75 at most ( maybe once), like i do here......

[ms330]

Haha, love your response Donna... when are you headed over? I think you're kidding, but if not... that's going to last for about two minutes before you blast through to 100+!

I was a little nervous because I consistently sped (but never unsafe and never a big "outlyer" from the main fast-lane traffic) and definitely got flashed by one or two cameras (mainly in Provence area... France) but the responses are bolstering my self confidence. The Germans probably don't care too much unless you're unsafe. Sounds like I lucked out a bit in Czech and Austria. The Italians probably have years of backlog and won't go through the trouble to track export plates. The French, ugh... who knows. And definitely got lucky in Switzerland.

[AggieKnight]

The Italians probably have years of backlog and won't go through the trouble to track export plates.
Considering that I was the only one I saw in Italy slow down for there cameras...I sure hope so.