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‘I’m late for my Covid vaccine’ says 88-year-old Frenchman caught driving at 191 km/h

An 88-year-old man caught speeding at a breakneck 191 kilometres per hour on a French country road told officers that he was late for his Covid-19 vaccine appointment, police said.

Published: 26 February 2021 14:52 CET

'I'm late for my Covid vaccine' says 88-year-old Frenchman caught driving at 191 km/h

Photo by XAVIER LEOTY / AFP

The speed limit on the road where he was picked up on Thursday is 110 kilometres per hour, police in the eastern French Bas-Rhin département said on Facebook.

The driver, a local, “gave as a reason for his speeding that he was late for his Covid vaccine”, it said.

Officers confiscated the man’s driving licence and impounded his car.

“For everyone’s safety, let’s comply with speed limits, even after more than 60 years with a driving licence,” the post said.

France’s sluggish vaccine rollout has been the cause of much frustration among those groups who are currently eligible – mainly the over 75s, healthcare workers and people with serious health conditions.

The strategy is showing results, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday, with the rate of new infections among over 80-year-olds falling, although has been rising in other age groups.

Member comments

Anonymous - 26 February 2021 at 15:58 CET

Seems a fair enough reason.
Anonymous - 26 February 2021 at 17:55 CET

Very slow progress. Here in the UK they have already vaccinated every over 65 year old who wants it. France & Germany seem to be way behind the curve and why oh why are they not using the Oxford Astra Zeneca for over 65 when its safe?
Anonymous - 26 February 2021 at 19:15 CET

Here are 12 important questions and answers before considering getting vaccinated:

●”If I get vaccinated can I stop wearing a mask(s)?”
Government: “NO”
●”If I get vaccinated will the restaurants, bars, schools, fitness clubs, hair salons, etc. reopen and will people be able to get back to work like normal?
Government: “NO”
●”If I get vaccinated will I be resistant to Covid?”
Government: “Maybe. We don’t know exactly, but probably not.”
●”If I get vaccinated, at least I won’t be contagious to others – right?”
Government: “NO. the vaccine doesn’t stop transmission.”
●”If I get vaccinated, how long will the vaccine last?”
Government: “No one knows. All Covid “vaccines” are still in the experimental stage.”
● “If I get vaccinated, can I stop social distancing?”
Government: “NO”
● “If my parents, grandparents and myself all get vaccinated can we hug each other again?”
Government: “NO”
● “So what’s the benefit of getting vaccinated?”
Government: “Hoping that the virus won’t kill you.”
●”Are you sure the vaccine won’t injure or kill me?”
Government: “NO”
●”If statistically the virus won’t kill me (99.7% survival rate), why should I get vaccinated?”
Government: “To protect others.”
●”So if I get vaccinated, I can protect 100% of people I come in contact with?”
Government: “NO”
● “If I experience a severe adverse reaction, long term effects (still unknown) or die from the vaccine will I (or my family) be compensated from the vaccine manufacture or the Government?”
Government: “NO – the government and vaccine manufactures have 100% zero liability regarding this experimental drug”
So to summarize, the Covid19 “vaccine”…
Does not provide immunity.
Does not eliminate the virus.
Does not prevent death.
Does not guarantee you won’t get it.
Does not stop you from passing it on to others.
Does not eliminate the need for travel bans.
Does not eliminate the need for business closures.
Does not eliminate the need for lockdowns.
Does not eliminate the need for masking.

If after reading this you still decide to get the “vaccine”…GOOD LUCK & DON’T SAY YOU WEREN’T WARNED.
And people who question this lunacy are called “crazy”.
Anonymous - 27 February 2021 at 08:28 CET

A very good comment Daniela. People seem to be under the impression that the vaccine stops one from getting it like the Polio vaccine did, it doesn’t. Of course then we get onto the crazy situation of having vaccine passports. Perhaps the people that don’t want the vaccine will have to have an arm tattoo and wear a yellow icon or even be put into camps like members of my family experienced eighty years ago.

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Can France confiscate your foreign driving licence?

A Briton was recently banned from driving in France for 18 months, fined a total of €600 and handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence after seriously injuring a student while speeding on the wrong side of the road while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

But he avoided more serious punishment because, the court said, French law does not allow for the permanent withdrawal of a foreign-issued driving licence.

The court heard that the British motorist was driving at twice the speed limit, was nearly three times over the legal limit for alcohol in France, and tested positive for cannabis when the incident occurred in Cahors, Lot, in May 2023. He had recently moved to the area, according to Actu Lot.

The case, and the court’s ruling, raises important points about French law regarding driving licences.

While technically licences issued outside of France cannot be permanently confiscated and points cannot be withdrawn from them, there are other serious considerations people should take into account when driving on a foreign-held licence in France, including how long they have been resident here.

People visiting France on holiday

Motoring message boards on social media frequently include discussions in which foreign motorists driving in France on holiday have had their licences temporarily confiscated by police – but they are usually returned a few weeks later.

Some drivers recommend paying for an International Driving Permit, just in case – even though motorists from many countries do not need them to drive in France, because the law allows police in France to provisionally confiscate licences for certain driving offences.

If you’re coming to France on holiday, then there is usually no problem with driving on the licence of your home country, whether you’re bringing your own car or renting one once you arrive.

Technically, France cannot remove points from a foreign driving licence, but you can still be forced to pay a fine or deal with any criminal ramifications from a driving offence. Additionally, if the fine is not paid, your car could be impounded.

Residents of France

If you live in France, however, it’s a different story. You may be ordered to exchange your licence if you commit certain traffic offences. As a result, once you are forced to switch onto a French licence, you could lose the points that you would have if your licence was not foreign-issued.

On top of that, after a certain period of residency (usually one year, although there is a slightly different system for UK licences) you are legally required to swap your licence for a French one, if you want to drive here.

The process for swapping your licence depends on where you learned to drive in the first place will dictate whether you have to take a French driving test. Here’s a country-by-country breakdown of the rules.

For Britons, a 2021 agreement allows people who live in France and hold a UK or NI licence issued before January 1st, 2021 to continue using them as before.

They only need to exchange when their photocard licence or actual licence runs out. You can apply to exchange your licence for a French one once you get within six months of the expiry date of either the licence or the photocard, whichever is first.

Anyone driving on a licence issued after January 1st, 2021, will need to exchange it for a French one within one year of moving to France.

Exchanging your licence is a time-consuming bureaucratic process and for many people it simply feels like too much hassle – especially if you don’t own your own car and just occasionally drive a rented vehicle or one lent to you by a kindly friend or neighbour.

This is especially the case for people who have a driving licence from a country (or certain states of the USA) that doesn’t have a reciprocal agreement with France, as they have to take a French driving test in order to get a licence in France.

What do you risk if you carry driving on your old licence?

The French government is clear: “The exchange for a French licence is compulsory in order to be able to drive in the long-term in France.”

If you are a non-EU citizen, your visa or residency permit provides clear proof that you live in France, so in most cases it’s unambiguous that you should have swapped your licence if you are stopped by police.

Driving while not having a valid licence carries a penalty of up to a year in prison sentence and a fine of €15,000.

Since 2014 a fast-track system has been in place in which people who meet certain criteria (first offence, not involved in any other traffic offences) can immediately plead guilty and take an €800 fine.

Be aware, too, that drivers using a foreign licence they really shouldn’t because they live permanently in France, may be driving uninsured, even if they’re paying for vehicle insurance – because driving on the wrong licence invalidates it.

If you have an accident while driving, even if it’s not your fault, you will need to contact your insurance and if you’re showing a French address and a non-French licence, questions will be asked.

Listing an address that’s not your actual place of residence counts as lying to insurers, which can result in the refusal of your claim, and could lead to prosecution.

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