They said I had to pay. Others seemed more understanding and admitted that Icelanders know where these fast-moving cameras are and slow down when they see them. But overall, most Icelanders agreed that it was only fair those who received these speeding tickets pay the fine. What would a Marshall Plan for Ukraine look like? Speed limits are very much present and driving under the influence is a strict no-go. A lot of car rental companies also charge a handling fee if you get a speeding ticket. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-95594770', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');car as it was 20,000k more to go to the station to pay. I was so nervous lol. By As a general guide the fine is usually between $195- $460 USD, however, if you are driving very fast, such as 41+km/h faster than legal top speed in 80-90km zones, then you may get fined $615-$690. Anyone caught driving at the speed of 111-120 km/h (68-75 mph) can expect a fine of ISK 50,000 (USD 816) and those caught driving at the speed of 141-150 km/h (88-94 mph) will have to pay ISK 130,000 (USD 2,121). There are differences inspeed limits in townsand the surrounding countryside and they are all well marked for drivers attention. Of course this is sad but the same rules must apply to foreign tourists as to Icelanders, says Erlingsson, adding that car-rental companies should keep their customers better informed about the traffic law. A car pulling any type of trailer is driving over the legal limits. Speeding fines in Iceland start at 30,000 ISK and can range up to 150,000 ISK or more. Theres also an insufficient number ofofficers. Thank you in advance 70km/h zone. Take your time and enjoy the ride! Gurn Hauksdttir, a police officer in Western Iceland, said that one reason is that travelers frequently write their addresses in hand in their own alphabet. On open roads the speed limit varies too; on gravel roads the speed limit is 80km/h, on asphalt roads the speed limit is 90km/h. Use our "Jump to Chapter" if you want to get to some of the info quickly. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-8227180', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');rental cars), have had 738 road accidents, and 150 serious injurys this year, from Jan 1. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The floating crosswalk was thought up by town environmental commissioner Ralf Trylla. The police, however, have in many cases had found it difficult to track down the correct addresses of the travelers in question. Fine $300-390. However, most of the speeding cameras are located in the south part of Iceland which has fewer police patrols. According topolice in Iceland, they manage to collect only 45% of those speeding tickets. Driving 26km/h or faster over allowed top speed. Also, both officers were confused and initially said they dont know what other option I have. There are a couple of reasons for this low number. We got a ticket for wrong parking (duh) in Spain. People die on the road because of speeding. If you get your ticket in the mail from a speed camera, you have two options. The more a driver is over the speed limit, the greater the number of day fines they will receive. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. I'm so glad they are finally raising the fines. The requirement for tires isn't about whether they are winter or summer tires, instead, it's about the depth of the tires. I honestly think with the huge increase of tourism in Iceland, they will start tracking down on unpaid fines and tickets to foreigners. Observing all traffic laws will save you lots of embarrassment from the Iceland authorities and also save you your hard earned dollars if you dont over-speed or parked at the wrong place. The main reason for high fines in Iceland is that us locals can be driving fiends, and often pay little attention to road conditions. Of those whose addresses we find, only about 45% pay.. If you intend to drive in Iceland, its important you know the Iceland speed limits. I lived in Iceland for a while and got one for $500 :/ made sure to not speed again after that one!! Don't worry, we won't spam you. As they were reviewing my license and the rental cars registration, they gave me the option to pay on the spot or receive the ticket later in the mail. Just 80 percent of fines charged to foreign tourists . Also, if you receive your ticket by mail, you might notice a new charge by your rental car company around 5000 ISK ($39 USD). Are you sure that these are not two radar camera tickets from the same route before the cruiser stopped you? Definitely not gonna pay one in another countrylol, Iceland is wonderful for mountain lovers. You shouldnt have to pay your fine if they do not have any substantial, visible proof. Just to clarify I was not speeding. If the clock is missing or the parking exceeds the allowed time, one can expect a parking fee. book flight now or wait until Efling Strike is over? Motorist who are stopped without a license plate on the front of the car are stopped and made to move the back plate to the front. Many people went to Trip Advisor and forums like Reddit for advice on whether or not they needed to pay their fines, which range anywhere between $100 USD and $1700 USD. Keeping to the right speed limit is very important as spontaneous dangers can present themselves on Iceland roads. The fine in Iceland is a minimum of ISK 100,000 and penalties can even include time in prison. With insufficient resources police relies on people's good conscience. The answer to these speeding fines is only one!, Dont speed! Oh no! Parking and camping outside of designated camping zones in Iceland are illegal. We just got a fine and my husband paid . Would have never expected a full blown article on speeding ticket but this sure is helpful. Don't speed in (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Use the inside line if you plan to exit on the second, third, or fourth exist. The approach to pursuing fines incurred by foreigners varies by country. The first thing drivers should know is that Iceland speed limits are much lower than they are in other countries. Hopefully, it wasnt too difficult to figure out. I was going g 117kmh. Like nearly $500 for 11 km/h (6.7 mph) over on a road like that. One individual who allegedly called theIcelandic police department spoke to a woman who saidnothing would happensince they are not a citizen of Iceland. As of February, foreign tourists owed over ISK 27 million ($255 000/216 000) in fines. 2015-2023 Northbound. Although it is unlikely, errors can occur, so if you get fined, remember to check all the details before paying. a fine for speaking on mobile while driving is raised from 25.000 to 40.000 ISK (from about 250 USD to 400 USD). You do not indicate when you enter the roundabout, instead, you need to indicate when you are leaving it. There are two main ways you get a speeding ticket; you either get pulled over on the road and given a ticket, or you get a ticket delivered to you by mail. I dont know why we arent broke already haha. Im sure they committed fraud as they charged him well above the speed table provided on the internet . Funny, I asked well why dont you just give me a ticket now and tell me how to pay online? The #2 is parking fines that are imposed on vehicles that are illegally parked that violate the traffic regulatory law.Here are the fees to expect when you break any of the parking laws in the country: These parking fines are also referred to as the `parking meter citation`. Im going to Iceland in November 2019, so will be extremely careful driving there. The biggest challenge with tunnels is quickly adapting to the darkness when entering the tunnel and with the brightness when leaving. Fines for speeding are quite different from other offenses. Why is it important to obey Iceland speed limits? Samuel Hogarth If you get pulled over by the police (like me), you have three options. 2006-2023 All copyright reserved on photos and content, This website uses cookies to help you browse on the website/ web. Such as time and place and the number plate, the staff finds out who was renting the car at the time and is then by law, required to send this information back to the police. The only concern the officer had was for me to pay the stupidly high 80,000. All Rights Reserved. What do you do if you get a speeding ticket in Iceland? When you approach a roundabout, make sure you already know which exit you will be taking. This new breed of crosswalk appears to be floating up and off the road, which. I'm going to Iceland later this summer which is a beautiful county and I'm very excited about it. Be especially aware at night, as to the sheep, your car is just a wandering flicker of light and the road is just part of their terrain. Fines are automatically processed and delivered to the owner of the offending vehicle. The fees changed the last months. The same applies to parking tickets sent by the police to the car owner. Yikes! Recently, a tourist from the Czech Republic who was fined for a speed violation complained that the fine was equivalent to his monthly salary also an Italian woman was noticed to be in tears when she was told how much she has to pay for violating the speed law. Iceland is not a friendly place for a learner driver, especially if you are a visitor to the country. Instead of paying 30,000 ISK ($247 USD), the fine would be 22,500 ISK ($185 USD). There are varying opinions based on the speed fines in Iceland. Parking is free but you need to get a parking clock at a gas station, tourist information and there are shops that carries them too. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Sweden has a plan to end all traffic accident deaths, Technology could make traffic jams a thing of the past. Pl us, a lthough the roads might seem empty at times, common sense applies. Our major roads are getting filled with little signs the authorities are putting up at the spot of fatalities, I recently counted 19 of these signs, all within ten minutes of my home. The maximum speed on most paved roads outside of towns and villages in Iceland is 90 km/hr, which is 56 mph. No matter the speed limit, there are plenty of signs that keep you updated. I would definitely pay the fine! A lot of car rental companies also charge a handling fee if you get a speeding ticket. Let us know! Again this is all about your moral and ethical value to society. Driving 41km/h or faster over allowed top speed. Of course Iceland does not have autobahn or ultra modern freeways. I'm not sure what it is like in the states but in Europe in general it is very common to have speedtraps all over the place. If the road you sped on was absent of signs notifying you of speed limits. The hire company will have your credit card details and you will have agreed to pay fines when you took the (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? It is indeed a good idea to first understand the traffic law of any country you are visiting if you intend to drive around. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-8641007', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');car rentals have the credit card informations of those who were in a rental. Scandinavian Travel Services ehf. Should I dispute it when the credit card bill comes. Haha I decided to write it because there really was no blog post or definite answer on whether or not one needed to pay the speeding ticket. Unfortunately it wasnt a fraud . A bus is driving faster over the legal limits, 2. Emergency services with flashing lights always have right of way. Oh and thank you for this blog. Where were you driving? I really don't feel sorry for the Czech man or the Italian lady. $400 max, $700+ now that is the real crime!! (70km zone), Driving 41km/h or faster over allowed top speed. There have been few incidents in the past where people have hired rental cars, travelled, returned home, and then weeks later received a letter to their home address with a request to pay fines in Iceland. If you receive the ticket after the discount has expired, you can always call and explain the situation to get an extension. Went to iceland back in august, got pulled over at 2:59am for speeding. Extra caution should be taken on gravel roads as the uneven, loose surface can mean your tires have less traction. Use the outside lane if you are exiting the roundabout on the first exit only. One thing making Iceland stand out to many countries are the swift weather changes one has to be prepared for, especially driving around Iceland off season, like low sun, snow blizzards coming from no where, slippery roads and so on. Join our weekly hand curated newsletter to have all the latest news from Iceland sent to you. I noticed that in certain parts of the country there are 'camera' signs indicating that speed cameras are in effect. If for some reason you've entered the roundabout on the outside lane, but realize you don't need to exit immediately, then use your indicator to signal towards the inside lane - but do not switch lanes! On the sixth day, driving between Hvammstangi and Arnarstapi, I saw a van with flashing lights driving towards me. Many of our foreign tourists, very unfortunately, completely ignore tickets. You can read about that here An Epic 7-Day Iceland Road Trip In March. Even if you arent told you have a fine when you return your car, it does not mean you are in the clear. If its unpaid after 14 days, the fee goes up to 3750ISK (29USD). The authority of the judge to show lenience has been eliminated and you can expect to to fork over at least several thousand dollars and have have you license suspended for six months. I also thought it was kind of them to warn me about the speed camera because I actually had no idea Iceland had any! Its really up to you, but if you do, Im not even sure your credit card will take your side. Off-roading in Iceland is strictly forbidden.