New French driving laws

[gemini]

On top of the trailer load of things youve now got to carry in your car, you now have to have the speed camera warning setting switched OFF.

Anyone know under what power they can check?

[Le Pop]

That's a burning question right now. I understand that the gendarmes do not have the power to check your satnav, but of course nobody is highlighting that. I think they have simply changed the law to make camera sites unavailable to satnavs so that in due course everybody will comply.

Along with spare bulbs, luminous jackets, breath test kits, red triangles, headlight deflectors, first aid kits etc etc I have never been asked to show them to a gendarme in living here over two years and coming to Le Mans regularly for years before we moved here permanently. And I've been busted for speeding twice and breathalised three times (innocent each time).

Draw your own conclusions, but of course don't blame me if you get caught!

[blueST]

I updated my TomTom last week and it wiped off all the French cameras, which is a tad annoying as I'm crossing Le Manche on Saturday.

[emss]

Hi,

This is a little more complicated, French politicians need to justify their own existence...

A gps device, to be compliant, should not display speed cameras, but is allowed to warn about danger zones (This is the result of an agreement between the French transportation ministry & Speed camera database providers)

Most of speed camera databases available in France have been modified to comply with new rules and, as the legal motto for speed cameras is that they're installed in danger zones, when you get a warning, most of the times, a speed camera lies around.

Last, a policeman can't check your gps device, so this is the kind of utterly useless law that prevails on this side of the Channel...

Eric Masson