Clapton loses licence in France
Eric Clapton won't be driving in France for a while. Police said yesterday they clocked the rock star speeding down a highway at 134mph, 216 km/h and suspended his licence. Radar caught Clapton whizzing down a highway in his Porsche 911 Turbo at 53mph, 86 km/h above the speed limit, police said. He was stopped near the town of Merceuil, south of Beaune, near Dijon and 300 kilometres east of Paris. Police confiscated Clapton's British driver's licence, suspending his right to drive in France. Clapton, 59, a 16-time Grammy Award winner, took the bad news well, agreeing to a photo session with gendarmes. After paying a £515, 750-euro fine, he then rolled away in his Porsche -- this time in the passenger seat with his secretary behind the wheel, police said.
Clapton can still drive in Britain, but he will have to recover his licence through a diplomatic route, police said.
Has anyone else lost their licence this way in France?
If so how long did it take to recover the licence?
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Worth remebering if considering speeding in France - 20 years ago I was pulled for speeding and the gendarme held my licence disdainfully by the corner, and before he dropped it back into my car said
"eef zis was a Fronch leesonce ah would keep it".
That was when I learned that they can stop you driving there and then, and I've been more careful since.
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That's an interesting one. Presumably it'll go before the French courts, who would decide on the appropriate punishment if he is convicted.
If he is convicted, what powers do the French courts actually have wrt his license? They can't actually revoke it, 'cos it wasn't issued under French law -- the most they can do is to hold onto the physical copy, whilst possibly banning him from driving in France (if French law gives them the power).
In those circumstances, would DVLA give him a new copy if his licence? Or is there some way that they can take account of a conviction by in French court?
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A friend of mine here in Languedoc had her licence taken away for 14 days by the local police (failure to stop at a Stop sign), but duly returned after the said period.
It does seem to happen, altho the actual legal basis seems a little unclear.
IIRC I have been told by a Chief Constable that in the UK confiscation (of Foreign licences) in extreme cases does occur and that a computer record is kept to ensure that subsequent driving would be deemed to be driving whilst disqualified, altho to me the legal basis seems a little unclear if the case has not gone to court.
DVD and PU to comment?????
I think I have posted sim before but I cannot find it.
pmh (was peter)
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Legislation is already in place in UK (Section 56 onwards Crime (International C0-operation) Act 2003) for a Disqualification imposed in EU to be recognised in UK so that a ban there will be effective here.
Luckily, no commencement Order has yet been made to bring these Sections into Force, but it is coming.
I understand that, like the endorsement of a EU Licence in UK, details are forwarded to the appropriate EU authority and likewise re UK in EU. If the Licence is seized as stated and French Court disqualifies then I presume they will either return the Licence direct or maybe send the Licence to DVLA who will return it.
DVD
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Juan Pablo Montoya got done by the gendarme last year in his BMW X5 doing 126mph. He got a ?1200 fine and a ban for four months.
His responce to the gendarme was "I don't see the problem, I'm used to going fast..."
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