Thousands of drivers in France to get late speed tickets due to IT bug

Thousands of drivers in France are set to receive speeding tickets late as a result of a computer bug. They will be for small infractions committed in 2023.

At the start of April, the official sanctioning body, ANTAI (Agence nationale de traitement automatisé des infractions), admitted that it had suffered a “computer complication”.

This meant that drivers who had been speeding at less than 5 km/h over the limit in 2023 were not sanctioned. Now, however, these people will be receiving speeding tickets after all.

The ANTAI is working to catch up on the backlog, and more than 600,000 drivers are set to be affected. 

The fines due are estimated to be worth €8 million.

Read also: How can I check if speeding fines were sent to my French second home?
Read also: Driver fine: Radars capture more motoring offences in France

The ANTAI is working at a rate of 10,000 people per day, and drivers on the list will be contacted as soon as possible, said Joël Polteaul, president of the national union le Syndicat national des professionnels du permis à points (SNPAP), to specialist motoring website auto-moto.com.

Speeding at less than 5 km/h over the limit incurs a fine but no loss of licence points. (In France, drivers lose points rather than gain them, the opposite of the UK system.)

In most cases, the standard fine is subject to a reduction for prompt payment, and an increase if you take too long to pay. 

For example: 

• Speeding less than 20 km/h over the limit, in an 50+ km/h limit area: €68, reduced to €45 if paid within 15 days. This increases to €180 if not paid within 45 days.

• Speeding in an area under 50 km/h: €135, reduced to €90 if paid within 15 days, increased to €375 if not paid within 45 days.

• Speeding at more than 50 km/h over the limit: €1,500 (no reductions or increases).

• If the driver speeds by this amount again: €3,750.