I've just come back from Gran Canaria where I read an article on their driving licence law chage 1st July 2006. Gran Canaria use the Euro but are not in the EU and they have decided that all licences will be issued with 12 points on them and they are removed for any traffic offenses until you either hit Zero and you are banned ( normal totting up rules ) OR if you have 6 removed for one offense then you are banned for 6 months. This is already up and running, what's that all about then ?? Regards Peter
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Seems like the same as our system, just a different way of doing arithmetic.
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Gran Canaria is part of Spain and hence in EU, but they get special concessions on IVA (VAT) to compensate for the isolation. The points system is also in use throughout Spain - quite complex - the following table may give you an idea regard speeding!!
www.spainvia.com/speedtables06.htm
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the following table may give you an idearegard speeding!! www.spainvia.com/speedtables06.htm
Seems a lot more lenient than our system. If I read the table correctly, in a 31.25 MPH (50KPH) limit area you can do up to 50MPH (80 KPH) without losing any points but with a 120 Euro fine (£85).
It seems that the UK has an overly harsh system which is well enforced too, whereas in Spain they have a sensible, perhaps over lenient system which is probably little enforced. I have seen things happen in Spain on the roads in front of traffic police which in the police in the UK would have wet their pants about, but that was just ignored apart from a simple hand gesture by the police.
I think if we were somewhere in between in this country it would be okay.
In fact I'm surprised that the heaveir fine and no-points system isn't taken up as a real 'cash-cow' by the existing powers that be.
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