I passed in 05 and since then I think I have had 2 or 3 times going past a mobile camera when I noticed a bit late that I was creeping over, never got anything through though.

Did have an accident first day after getting my first car though

You are lucky, my girlfriend's daughter took her test at 17 (18 is the standard age here) and has to drive with a registered adult (my girlfriend and I had to send off copies of our licences and they had to be clean). If she gets stopped in her first year, at all, we get the points and she gets a 1 year ban. We also have to be sober, which annoyed her one Saturday, we had a drink with supper, then she announced that she wanted to drive, no dice!

I got pulled about 2 months after passing my test, but (touch wood) I haven't been pulled over in the last 22 years, and that was doing over 60K a year, when I was in the UK.

So far I've only managed to clock up 3 points in 26 years. The problem I have now is that my cars are getting progressively more powerful so it's only a matter of time before I manage to collect a few more.

There does seem to be a very simple way for people here to avoid getting all these points on their licenses.


In France you have reduced speed limits for your first two years, and have to display an equivalent of a P-plate, as well as having only 6 points maximum as over here.

I don't see why. If you can't manage a more powerful car, don't get one. Simples.

+1
Just because you've been on the road more doesn't make it more inevitable that you'll get points on your licence. It's like saying "I've been driving for 20+ years and I think I'm going to stop being so careful about my speed in future". It's just daft to think like that.

Mark

I've been driving about the same time, and I've never had any points on my licence.

I win.

That's called tempting fate

It's called showing off. (8+p

Mark

Mine seem to have levelled off over the last few years.

True.

Then again, I hardly drive anywhere these days, and when I do it's in slow moving traffic.

Well, I've got 3, but I had 6 last year. The 6 where for driving without due care and attention courtesy of an accident 5 years ago. Never been done for speeding. I can handle my car perfectly well. But apparently, I'm not allowed to handle it whilst talking on the phone. Interesting tangent:

I know there's a fairly hardcore collective of anti-phone people here, but where do people put it in comparison to speeding? I always do 60mph on cruise, or slower on A/B roads, as it's more economical. I'm very observant and courteous. I've only used the phone for a couple of short periods on straight stretches of dual-carriageway/motorway. Then just before Christmas, an un-marked BMW drove right past me whilst I was on the phone. I fail to see the difference between talking to the person next to me, or listen to my stereo and maybe singing, but hey. Thoughts?

Hands free kit. You can still talk but you won't be breaking the law.

It's been fairly well proven that you are unable to fully focus on driving if you are having a phone call.
I'm pretty anti it. I've seen a car in town cruise through a set of red lights because the owner was on the phone.

I take it your phone was in your hand at the time. So now you only have one hand to control the vehicle? Add to that the fact you are diverting some of your attention to the phone call. I can understand why its not allowed tbh. I'm not saying there's not other things people do (and get with with) in cars that arent worse but why not just use hands free or make the call later or pull over.

I passed my test in 2005, was driving since then on parents insurance in my mums car but got my own car in 2008.

It only lasted 18 months.... but it was French, the engine surrendered on me (not down to abuse, apparently it was an inherent fault at one stage and should have been fixed by Renault)