Well now I'm reading horror stories about the speed cameras in Iceland and the rental car companies charging people's card for a ton of money. Keeping to the right speed limit is very important as spontaneous dangers can present themselves on Iceland roads. On the sixth day, driving between Hvammstangi and Arnarstapi, I saw a van with flashing lights driving towards me. Sometimes, the speed limit can be even lowerwhen turning a sharp corner or driving along a steep mountain road. Then there are the horrible "washboard" roads. The fine in Iceland is a minimum of ISK 100,000 and penalties can even include time in prison. As an aside, a guide at the Tourist information in Hofn suggested i take the OXI road to Egilstaddir to shave 60km off my trip. But do you have to? Like nearly $500 for 11 km/h (6.7 mph) over on a road like that. Frankly, single car road accidents are very common in Iceland, and are really frowned upon, as they are almost always the driver's fault. Great way to tick off the tourists spending big in your country. Unfortunately it wasnt a fraud . well written blog btw, Im enjoying reading what you have to say and thoroughly enjoyed this particular post. The fees changed the last months. If there is no marked road or track then you are not allowed to drive there. Iceland is totally a dream and should be at the top of everyones bucket list like yours! The best way to avoid getting a speeding ticket in Iceland is always to drive safely and according to driving laws and posted signs along your route. It was getting too easy to pay the relatively small fine for speeding and then take a three hour fun class to get the corresponding points removed from your record. We just got a fine and my husband paid . The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. The first thing drivers should know is that Iceland speed limits are much lower than they are in other countries. $400 max, $700+ now that is the real crime!! The approach to pursuing fines incurred by foreigners varies by country. The Icelandic road system is unique and drivers must be aware of both on-road and off-road conditions. A vehicle over 3.5000 kg is driving over the legal limits 3. I paid the ticket (about $281) to the extremely friendly officer and went on my way. We are quite sure you likely have a few questions that need answered. Naturally, I thought it was an ambulance so I pulled over. If you decided not to pay, the Icelandic police will probably not do much as contacting an international booking agency to force you to pay (when you must have returned to your home country) because of the high cost that might likely be involved in persecuting such an offense. Impressive. If you get a speeding ticket in Iceland, you have a few options when it comes to paying. 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. The different speed limits in towns and out on the countryside are always well marked and needs to be followed. Icelandic roads are constructed differently to European and American ones - in rural areas they are surfaced with gravel so if you go around a bend too quickly you will have a serious accident. Here is a short list of of speeding fines in Iceland and how they increase with the offence: 1. It is important to note that the automatic speed-surveillance cameras are not always correct; therefore, it would be wise to ask for proof before you pay your ticket. The best way to avoid getting a speeding ticket in Iceland is always to drive. And also as a social contribution to a country which has offered so much of its natural beauty which I enjoyed practically for free ( no entrance fees..). Although it is unlikely, errors can occur, so if you get fined, remember to check all the details before paying. Speeding is a common offence that people visiting Iceland get fined for, and the fines are costly. Speeding tickets issued by speeding cameras along the highway have proven especially hard to collect, as the cameras record the license plate number of offending motorists. By using the website you agree on our policy on cookies.Close. However, driving in Iceland requires some more precautions compared to driving in other countries. I was mostly concerned with the cameras. Yes, you should pay because you broke the law and it is the right things to do. To make your life easier, we have put together a summary of everything you need to know when it comes to Icelandic traffic laws. 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. They can range anywhere from $200 to $700. That way you will probably get a 2-week period where the fine lowers by 30% or so. According to online statistics, road accidents by foreigners with rental cars is about 157 fatalities from 2007-2017. The location of speed cameras in Iceland vary, as they may often be mounted in a parked patrol vehicle on the side of the road. If you receive the ticket after the discount has expired, you can always call and explain the situation to get an extension.
Basically, when encountering another car, whoever has the parking space on their right needs to use it to let the other pass. They will then charge your credit card and pay it off for you, adding an administration fee. We will be in touch. 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. You can find several tunnels throughout Iceland. BTW I have always found local drivers in Iceland both private and professional to be extremely courteous. I understand that you get a speeding fine but do you get points on your licence? The police vans have card readers so pay with either your Debit or Credit card. Below you will find a rough guide to speed limits in Iceland. that's a first, (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? When you are visiting Iceland for the first time, it can be very exciting and tempting to jump behind the wheel and race up on the road with yourcar rentalbecause of the beautiful scenery and landscapes. I hope everyone is keeping safe with the current happenings in our world. Just to clarify I was not speeding. Oh no! No matter the speed limit, there are plenty of signs that keep you updated. If you are unsure then you should always stick to a slower speed. Each time you break the law you risk getting caught breaking the law and having to pay the price. 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. Sure it sucked, but I didnt speed the rest of my trip. Fines. Im going to Iceland in November 2019, so will be extremely careful driving there. I was so nervous lol. 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. For example if you drive between 110-121 km you pay 80.000 isk and 60.000 isk with the 25% discount. The car rental companies provide us with peoples addresses and we send the fine to their home address. A vehicle over 3.5000 kg is driving over the legal limits. You can pay with credit card, on the spot. The tourist driver ended up paying 150,000 ISK in total after his detected misdemeanor and paid both fines on the spot. Option 1: Pay the fine then and there, and receive a 25% discount off your ticket. They have a brochurethat shows the maximum speed limits printed on the pages. The average height for these speed bumps is about 12 inches, but some are as high as 36 inches. I wish the fines were at least double what they are. This website uses cookies to help you browse on the website/ web. By going over the speed limit, of course. Photo from the Reykjavk Police Instagram Account. In Iceland, there are two types of parking violation charges: The #1 parking violation charge is a fine meant for vehicles that failed to park at the right designated parking areas or for drivers who stays longer than necessary at the parking area. I just got back from Iceland and got pulled over between auristly and borgarnes. And Im SO glad they let you off with a warning! How would you spend your time in a self-driving car. Here are some other reasons why you need to pay your speed fine: The cost of speeding damage on roads, traffic delays caused by accidents, medical costs or the SAR helicopters for rescue missions, etc. Some signs are digital and will measure your speed as you pass by. 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`. We got a ticket for wrong parking (duh) in Spain. #istanbul #turkey #visit_tu. This is sooo important to have an understanding of! Police in Iceland manages to collect only 45% of speeding tickets given to foreign travelers. Also, there are no roundabouts in the whole of Iceland with more than two lanes. This is not true, however, as there is a 10,000 ISK fine (75 USD/68 EUR) for driving with only one license plate. Seriously, insane! Pedestrians crossing a zebra crossing, that has no lights, always have the right of way. Hi there! Join our weekly hand curated newsletter to have all the latest news from Iceland sent to you. Iceland has some of the lowest speed limits in the world. Most of them seemed to be unaware of the speed limits and found the amount they had to pay very upsetting, according to Hskuldur Erlingsson, duty officer in Blndus, in an interview with Morgunbladid. Some tourists get especially confused about roundabouts in Iceland. However, some tourist says they pay more in speeding fines in countries like Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. This article will prove helpful if you want to avoid getting speeding tickets on your visit to Iceland. Does anyone know how the speeding fines are collected? I received in the mail 4 speeding tickets from Holland totaling about $450 when I was there May 2019 (some tickets were for just going over 5 kms over!). Girl I know the feeling!! Hopefully, it wasnt too difficult to figure out. Many of our foreign tourists, very unfortunately, completely ignore tickets. This sign means there is a one-way tunnel system ahead. They said ummm not sure how. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-88000896', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Iceland, as well as so many speed limit signs. more. Promise! I thought that was very very high. Are you sure that these are not two radar camera tickets from the same route before the cruiser stopped you? Use the inside line if you plan to exit on the second, third, or fourth exist. Although it is unlikely, there is a possibility for errors to occur, so if you get fined, remember to check all the details before paying. and according to driving laws and posted signs along your route. The good thing is that, on almost all the roads in Iceland, there are ample signs with the speed limits. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-8234223', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');car. Ill keep it short and simple. The more a driver is over the speed limit, the greater the number of day fines they will receive. This was back in august, Today (December 7th) Fines for everything will be raised a lot. I'm so glad they are finally raising the fines. As a driver, before you jumped behind any vehicle to drive, its your responsibility to know the traffic laws of the country you are driving in. Oh no! Are these used in Iceland? So good to know about speed cameras and such. In Iceland, you drive on the right side of the road and overtake on the left. 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.