getting a polish license to avoid speeding points

silvercar

So if you get stopped and asked to show your licence you show a foreign one, then the nice policeman asks to see your insurance documents, on which you have declared that you have held a full UK licence for XX years.

dacouch

A lot of Insurers tend to regard a full EU licence as the same as a Full UK licence, its one of the beauty of being part of the EU..being able to work anywhere in the EU and being able to use your EU licence anywhere in the EU.

Besides your Insurance Certificate does not state what type of licence you have just a note that the cover is subject to you having the relevant licence to drive

PolishBigSpender

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

They CAN however, now register the points - not on the licence maybe, but they can put it on the trafico database!

I suspect these 'ghost' licences will become standard in the EU.

It was quite common (before Schengen) for Polish drivers to be refused entry into Germany due to driving offences. The usual proceedure would involve turning up at the border, being cleared out of Poland and subsequently being refused entry into Germany as the car/licence in question would be 'wanted' in Germany.

For some strange reason, many border control buildings were located on the Polish side after the fall of the DDR as the DDR entry/exit buildings were demolished - so the 'safe' bet was always to pick a crossing which was staffed by the Poles and Germans jointly on the Polish side.

mazza111

silvercar wrote: »

So if you get stopped and asked to show your licence you show a foreign one, then the nice policeman asks to see your insurance documents, on which you have declared that you have held a full UK licence for XX years.

You have to declare which kind of license you have whilst applying for car insurance, I can assure you that my OH has declared a European license on his and my insurance. Why should he change it to a UK license if we are planning to move to Belgium for our retirement...well that's wishful thinking, but he's proud of where he's from, the fact is, he doesn't want a British license. Would any of us want to give up our British license for a European one if we moved there if we didn't need to?

codger

VickyHurn wrote: »

I must admit I have been stopped for speeding multiple times in the US and always show my UK licence, never had to pay a fine as they never chase it up (And all this bull you read about being stopped the next time you enter the US is totally wrong), I think if I was going to get stopped I would have by now (Over 200 entries in the last 15 years)

Sorry to disillusion anyone who thinks they can emulate this achievement but, er, traffic offences are logged. Though if you wish to run the risk of arriving in the US on holiday and being whipped away by US Immigration, then by all means do so.

I'm not sure out of the 200 offences listed in that post, how many resulted in a roadside caution, because cautions don't count: I've had half a dozen in a 35-year period, and on not one occasion have I even been shot.

But once you're hit with a written ticket, best to play safe.

Look on the bright side though. Last time I was done -- by an utterly humourless California Highway Patrol cop wearing mirror shades and rehearsing for a role as a Clint Eastwood sound-alike -- he decided that because I was a Brit, I might be unfamiliar with US speed limits, it being a fact that all Brits are stupid and can't do the math.

So he didn't book me for breaking the limit on State Route (Highway) 1 but did ticket me for crossing a solid centre line to overtake a stream of sunshine-seeking senior citizens driving RVs the size of houses at 15mph so they could see the blasted tree that sticks out from the cliff at Big Sur.

Back home in the UK, I received from the Clerk to the Court of whatever county in California Hearst's soddin' Castle happens to be in, a Notice of Prosecution under some clause or other of the California Penal Code.

Serious stuff.

However, on re-reading it became apparent that the death penalty is no longer enforced and Alcatraz is shut anyway. So it was either pay $50 as a fine or opt to waive it entirely by reporting to the San Simeon Driver Retraining Center for Driver Re-Education & Moral Improvement (I made up that last bit, nobody would ever attempt to improve anyone's morals in California.)

I wrote back, opting for driver re-education instead of the fine, and enclosing two quotes for the return airfare from Heathrow to LA and another for a charter return from Gatwick to San Francisco, it being the case -- as I pointed out -- that I could easily hare up, or down, the coastal highway to arrive in time for the re-training, hopefully without breaking the speed limit.

I pointed out that as in all fairness this was my own fault, I wouldn't expect the Court Office to spring for my accomm costs, but if they could recommend a nice motel nearby that would be much-o appreciated.

They wrote back by return to say that sadly, California was unable to fund the transatlantic air fares of Penal Code offenders though they could recommend a lovely motel run by the retired County Sheriff and his wife. Oh, and have a nice day.

I wrote back to say that I greatly appreciated the information about the retired County Sheriff's motel (and would appreciate it even more if there was a discount deal going) but that the UK-US air fare was even more punitive than the Californian Penal Code.

To which they replied that they were sorry about the air fare but yes, it might be possible to sort out a discount on the accommodation, which really was very nice, included a free breakfast, and was not far from the Driver Retraining Center. Also, watch out for the discount coupons that regularly featured in the regional Press and especially from Walmart because that could help to defray the overall expense of my trip.

The upshot was that I sent them the $50 and they sent back a receipt and said have a nice day again and also that they were missing me already.

Moral: you can make lots of unexpected friends in California (though not CHP officers), discover excellent accommodations where the prospect of your room being burgled is zero, and get the inside track on Walmart's latest offers -- but only if you do the right thing (which you would anyway) and pay what you owe instead of trying to wimp out of it.

PolishBigSpender

mazza111 wrote: »

Would any of us want to give up our British license for a European one if we moved there if we didn't need to?

I gave up my Polish licence when moving to the UK as it was simply easier to deal with - back then, in the days before Poland joined the EU, Polish licences were looked upon with suspicion. Likewise, I exchanged it for a Polish licence when moving back here - the Polish system just wouldn't take too kindly to a Polish citizen avoiding penalty points by holding a foreign licence.

neas

my wife gave up her polish licence as it makes it easier to deal with for both of us. However her polish friend is being fined for driving without due care and attention.... he has to go to court (take time off) or send back a guilty plea by post.

It doesnt mention how many points will be applied.

Question is... when the insurance asks him 'how many points do you have'.... Can he really say 0 even though he has at least 3 on record at the DVLA?

Wouldnt this invalidate his insurance?

He is asking my advice but would like to make sure i tell him right etc.

dunstonh

Question is... when the insurance asks him 'how many points do you have'.... Can he really say 0 even though he has at least 3 on record at the DVLA?

He can say what he likes. Although he will have to face the consequences if he tells lies.

Wouldnt this invalidate his insurance?

if he lies on purpose then yes it will.

alixia

I have just exchanged my european driving licence for Uk licence. I hope my car insurence will be much lower:j.
Also I can use it as a ID card now and nobody is looking on me with suspicion.:A