Thousands of motorists have recently benefited from a computer bug to avoid losing points on their driving license.
Receiving a signed letter from the National Agency for the Automated Processing of Offenses is never good news. It is this public establishment, assigned to the fight against road insecurity, which manages the sending of all fines resulting from Highway Code offenses committed in France. Except that since the end of last year a failure of the computer system of ANTAI, also responsible for collecting payment of fines, has benefited many motorists, according to France Info. Indeed, thousands of drivers have recently received tickets in their mailboxes indicating the amount of the fine to pay but not the withdrawal of points inherent to the offense committed.
This “gift” has been given to certain motorists since the Rennes-based organization modified its computer software to adapt to the new regulations concerning speeding of less than 5 km/h. Since January 1, 2024, speeding of less than 5 km/h is no longer punishable by the loss of a point on the driving license but only by a fine of 68 euros. This new regulation has created a dysfunction in the system managed by ANTAI. However, not all offenses are “exempt” from the loss of points, which explains why some motorists benefit from this bug… and others do not.
So who benefits? Not those speeding between 5 and 20 kilometers per hour. These “small” excesses of the authorized speed give rise to classic fines on which the amount of the fine to be paid – 68 euros – and the withdrawal of a point are clearly stipulated. It is when the driver is flashed more than 20 km/h above the speed limit that the error occurs. We can then read on the official document received the words “This offense does not result in the withdrawal of points on the driving license”, a godsend for the guilty motorist who is therefore only asked to pay a fine. Please note that only reports drawn up following checks carried out by automatic radars are affected by this technical problem.
A big question now arises: will the Ministry of the Interior, with the help of ANTAI, carry out retroactive sanctions once the problem is completely resolved? To do this he will undoubtedly have to embark on a long administrative and even legal battle with many motorists. With any luck, those who fell through the cracks will never have points taken away that they should have lost.