International Harvester 533 tractor caught by a Paris speed camera near the Louvre Museum

It would have taken 20 hours for the former mayor of a Jura village to reach the spot where his tractor, limited to 20 km/h, was recently caught by a speed camera. So what happened?

Some unlikely situations seem to defy all logical explanation. In central Paris, near the Louvre Museum, Bernard Tissot, the former mayor of Saint-Jean-d’Étreux, was allegedly photographed by a speed camera. The speeding offence, dated 20 November, resulted in a €135 fine being delivered straight to his letterbox in the countryside.

The former councillor cannot accept or pay for this Parisian detour and alleged offence. It is an error, albeit a particularly remarkable one. The registration number stated on the penalty notice is certainly familiar to him: it belongs to his tractor, a 1977 International Harvester 533. Without the benefit of a steep descent in the Jura mountains, it cannot exceed 20 km/h - and there is no such terrain near the Paris museum.

A 400 km journey by International Harvester 533 tractor

At the wheel of his tractor, Bernard Tissot would have needed more than 20 hours to cover the 400 km to the location where the speeding offence was recorded on 20 November. The retiree, who is perfectly clear-minded, is certain that he did not attempt such a journey and feat in order to make the headlines. Instead, he plans to file a complaint to challenge the offence and establish whether there is a duplicate registration plate - or whether his plate has been cloned.

Why the tractor owner must file a complaint

In Paris on 20 November, the car photographed by the speed camera may well have been displaying a false registration plate, unless this is simply an administrative error. Either way, the former mayor is required to take this step. It will also involve changing the registration plate and, consequently, obtaining a new vehicle registration certificate.

Penalties for the driver behind the speeding offence

For the motorist responsible for the speeding offence, the €135 penalty should be followed by a more substantial fine. The authorities take this crime very seriously: the main penalties can include up to seven years in prison, a €30,000 fine and the loss of six points from the driving licence.

If the offence is repeated, further sanctions may apply, including a driving ban of up to three years, the full cancellation of the driving licence - with a ban on retaking the test for up to three years - and confiscation of the vehicle.