What to do if: You're caught speeding, or you break down

You break down

• Make sure you’re covered
  There’s never a convenient time for your car to break down, but the headache it can cause might be even greater when it happens abroad. Therefore, it’s worth making sure you’re fully covered before you travel. In the event of the worst happening, cover gives you confidence that help is on its way. Investing in European breakdown travel cover may well be worth doing, as those without it could find recovery costs to be very expensive.
• Check your vehicle's conditions
  It’s also wise to check your car is in the best possible condition before you set off. This provides an opportunity to notice any potential problems before they arise. Consider getting your car serviced and check lights, tyres and visibility are up to scratch.
• Have you got your insurance documents?
  It’s always a good idea to have all your insurance documents and appropriate phone numbers to hand too. Make sure you take these with you in the car every time, as they’ll be no good left back in your hotel or holiday home while you’re stranded at the roadside.
• What you need to pack
  Remember that you’ll need to put on a florescent jacket should you break down. If your vehicle is stuck on the road (fully or partially), you’ll need to use the red warning triangle that it’s compulsory for all cars in France to carry.
• The rescue plan
  It’s worth keeping in mind that if you break down on an autoroute your breakdown firm won’t be able to come directly to you. This isn’t quite as drastic as it sounds… When this happens, you need to contact the emergency services on 112 to arrange to be towed off. Once you’re safely dropped off, you can call for assistance to deal with the problem.

You Get Caught Speeding

If you're pulled over for speeding, be aware that on-the-spot fines can be issued and collected by the French police. The amount of Euros these will set you back can vary, but providing the offence isn’t worthy of loss of licence or prison, these can sometimes be reduced. It’s also worth knowing that radar detectors are illegal in France, so make sure they are left at home!

Speeding offence fines:

• The more serious the speeding offence, the heavier the fine. Plus, if you exceed the limit by 31mph or more, your vehicle could even be permanently taken away from you.
  

• So, to avoid potentially being left at the French roadside, it’s always wise to keep an eye on your speedometer.

Take a look at the information below to see how the penalties issued relate to the amount the speed limit is exceeded by:

• Driving less than 20km/hr above the speed limit: €68
• Driving between 30-39km/h above the limit: €135
• Driving between 40-49km/h above the limit: €135
• Driving over 50km/h above the limit: €1,500

Insurance through Swinton and Safeguard

• Car Hire Excess Insurance - Get reimbursed for costly excess charges on insurance for rental cars
• Car Insurance - A flexible range of policies for a wide range of cars and drivers
• Breakdown Cover - Flexible cover to help get you back on the road
• Touring Caravan Insurance - European cover included as standard
• Motorhome Insurance - European cover included as standard

Driving abroad

Be sure to check out our other driving abroad guides:

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Correct at the time of publication. Information in this article has been gathered from various sources, therefore Swinton Insurance cannot be held responsible for any view or opinion expressed herein.