EuroTrash

All this looks like to me is a kind of official 'receipt' for confiscating the car.

jsbach

Whilst fully acknowledging that those posting on here know far more than I do, isn't L325 about taking a car off the road (impounding), whilst having a valid insurance is L324? If so, there appears no reference to driving without insurance in the documents my friend has produced.

Peabrain

I agree. Plus the reason why, which is alcohol over 0.80.

EuroTrash

I agree with jsb, it looks as if all they are interested in is the drink/drive charge. Don't know whether there is any danger of the other matters rearing their heads either during the process or afterwards, I suppose it depends how thoroughly whoever deals with the case looks into it, but you'd think that if the gendarmes were intending to raise other charges they would have done it at the same time.

Garonne

L325-1 is driving without insurance. R325-1 is notification of vehicle being impounded.

http://www.codes-et-lois.fr/code-de-...article-l325-1

Les véhicules dont la circulation ou le stationnement en infraction aux dispositions du présent code ou aux règlements de police ou à la réglementation relative à l’assurance obligatoire des véhicules à moteur

EuroTrash

I read this to mean, vehicles can be impounded EITHER for being driven illegally (e.g. excess alcohol, as is the case here) OR for parking illegally OR simply for being uninsured, i.e. it is a kind of catch-all statement saying that vehicles may be impounded for all kinds of different infringments that mean they are a danger or a nuisance to the public, and whatever the reason, these are the procedures that must be followed. Could be wrong but I imagine this same 'article' has to be quoted every time a vehicle has been impounded, whether for being illegally parked, uninsured or because it was being driven dangerously/too fast/drunkenly/whatever.

Garonne

Well she'll find out on Wednesday. Good luck to your friend Johann and she's so lucky to have your support.

jsbach

My friend has been in touch - we're both very surprised at the outcome. She's been fined €200 (given until July to pay) and (I quote) "will also get my licence back in July". The person conducting the hearing said the punishment should have been more but recognised she wasn't in a position to pay. Not quite sure how I feel about this but I'm really grateful to BE and its supportive and knowledgeable contributors. Thank you!

Peabrain

Blimey. Well done JSB. Let's hope Sarkozy doesn't get off so lightly.
I can't help but express some amazement at such a light sentence given the offences, which are so very serious and could have landed her right in it if ever she'd had an accident. Will she be driving again, once she gets her licence back? Let's hope not, for her sake and for the sake of other road-users.
All credit to you, anyway, for being so supportive.
PB

Novocastrian

+1

@ JSB. Phew! Your friend has a true friend in you. (And a considerable amount of luck).

cjm

Perhaps the relief she and you Johann must feel at this result may trigger for her a reflective moment to seek help with her drinking. She may decide to go solo, but if, after July, she commits another DUI offence then leniency won't be an option. Good luck to you both. This series of posts by very knowledgeable BE's has been quite amazing and the number of 'views' indicates how much it has captured people's attention. I have certainly learned a lot from these posts.

dmu

All honour to JSB for supporting his friend and to the France rnembers for helping a stranger!

jsbach

I doubt that such a reflective moment will happen, cjm. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to care about her own health and the demon of alcoholism inhabits every part of her thinking processes. She will not, unfortunately, learn a lesson from this.
I'm reasonably convinced, though, that she won't drive again. She had her car scrapped (her decision was based on removing evidence of its unroadworthiness) and I doubt that she can or will afford to buy another, even when she returns to the UK.
At the time of her arrest, she was told that she wasn't to leave France for (I think) 5 months. I wonder if anyone knows whether the conviction supersedes that and that she may now travel when she wishes?

bigglesworth

Well done JSB. What a lucky outcome.

victorian67

Please beware of the increasing number of radars on French roads and especially the mobile radars mounted near the registration plaques of mostly the Renault Megane type which will flash you when you overtake them ...


Karim