Little-known road rule in France can leave speeding driver stranded

New Zealand rugby fans who leave the upcoming All Blacks tour of the UK for a few days driving in France could face a long walk back to Dover if they are caught speeding, according to British volunteer motoring body the RAC Foundation.

A little-known French law means that anyone stopped for exceeding the speed limit by more than 40km/h can lose their licence on the spot and be forced to find another way home if no substitute driver is present.

The law has been around for about five years, but few visitors to France have been aware of it. Until now, when British motorists are finding themselves stranded.

The RAC Foundation has received numerous calls from drivers who have found themselves on the wrong side of this law and, without any other way of getting their vehicle home, are looking at repatriation costs which can amount to thousands of dollars.

The law means that anyone caught speeding on a main road through a village at more than 90km/h can face instant licence confiscation and fines.

The confiscation is provisional pending a court hearing. The court can suspend the driver for up to three years or cancel their licence forever on a second offence.

For the time being, the licences of foreign drivers will be returned when the holder leaves the country, following international practice.

But a 1998 convention on the mutual recognition of licence suspension in the EU made foreign licence holders subject to the same immediate ban as French motorists but was previously only used on drink drivers.

It now gives French police the discretion to confiscate a licence immediately but allows no distinction between French nationals and visitors - unlike British legislation that is far less draconian on foreign drivers.

France's heavy fines and possible prison terms for "very high speed" were introduced in 2000 by the Government along with a battery of other measures in a bid to tackle the country's poor road safety record, which is among the worst in Europe.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation said: "We are concerned by the growing numbers of drivers who find themselves stranded with no one to help and by the lack of knowledge about the legislation and the potential of this happening. None of the people who contacted us were aware of the possible consequences of their actions.

"If there is no one else who can drive the car, then they will have to pay to have it brought back to Britain. That can cost up to 3000 ($7500), a sum that is unlikely to be covered by insurance."