Speeding in France
Discussion
Were Members aware that as of the 4th January this year it became illegal for your AM sat nav to give you advance warning of speed cameras in France ??
This also apples to your TomTom, Garmin etc.
One could envisage this as a viable reason for pulling you over, regardless of the speed you are travelling at.
Amazing how the UK Govt views advance warnings as part of its policy on reducing speeding, whilst the French Govt takes the opposite stance
This also apples to your TomTom, Garmin etc.
One could envisage this as a viable reason for pulling you over, regardless of the speed you are travelling at.
Amazing how the UK Govt views advance warnings as part of its policy on reducing speeding, whilst the French Govt takes the opposite stance
mikey k said:
Old news - they can now also confiscate you car and licence
Isn't there something about they can sell off your car if you can't afford to pay the fines, or something like that, I remember reading one of Jockman's posts about it.Oh, I didn't realise any members of this forum ever broke the speed limit
mikey k said:
Old news - they can now also confiscate you car and licence
Not sure they will have the means to enforce this properly though.
You're correct Mikey...it's 13 days old to be precise !!!!Not sure they will have the means to enforce this properly though.
Confiscation of the vehicle etc may be old news but I'd never heard of sat navs features coming within the realms of illegality
Hi all,
It's true that french policemen like to take money from all drivers and are pretty good at it.
My wife's family live in Bordeaux and I frequently commute from Brussels to Bordeaux.
As we are not concerned about our license we don't fear cops as much as the french do ("le permis à points" surely don't save lives but save money for the government!)
We've heard a lot about car confiscated and all kinds of urban myths.
What is true: Radar detectors and warning systems are forbidden and nobody can ignore the law but the policemen cannot explore your car unless you allow them to do so.
I'm still waiting for any policeman asking me to show him my radar detector (I even got one in my iPhone...) and you have plenty of time between the moment they ask you to follow them to cut off your phone!
I know of a spanish tourist that was escorted by the policeman to some cash dispenser for him to pay the fine! Can imagine where the money goes once the poor man was finally released....
Always ask for official paperwork. At least your money has a chance to profit the Frogs and their wonderful (if expensive) speedways.
BTW, you all know that all frenchmen are very fluent in English! If you try to speak a few words in french they will immediately turn mellower unless you just raped somebody of course.
They are very proud of themselves and of their country (what I can understand, the ladies are gorgeous! and yes my wife sometimes read this forum!)
"Excusez-moi Monsieur l'agent, je suis désolé d'avoir dépassé la vitesse autorisée! Je ne le ferai plus jamais!"
C'est la vie!
It's true that french policemen like to take money from all drivers and are pretty good at it.
My wife's family live in Bordeaux and I frequently commute from Brussels to Bordeaux.
As we are not concerned about our license we don't fear cops as much as the french do ("le permis à points" surely don't save lives but save money for the government!)
We've heard a lot about car confiscated and all kinds of urban myths.
What is true: Radar detectors and warning systems are forbidden and nobody can ignore the law but the policemen cannot explore your car unless you allow them to do so.
I'm still waiting for any policeman asking me to show him my radar detector (I even got one in my iPhone...) and you have plenty of time between the moment they ask you to follow them to cut off your phone!
I know of a spanish tourist that was escorted by the policeman to some cash dispenser for him to pay the fine! Can imagine where the money goes once the poor man was finally released....
Always ask for official paperwork. At least your money has a chance to profit the Frogs and their wonderful (if expensive) speedways.
BTW, you all know that all frenchmen are very fluent in English! If you try to speak a few words in french they will immediately turn mellower unless you just raped somebody of course.
They are very proud of themselves and of their country (what I can understand, the ladies are gorgeous! and yes my wife sometimes read this forum!)
"Excusez-moi Monsieur l'agent, je suis désolé d'avoir dépassé la vitesse autorisée! Je ne le ferai plus jamais!"
C'est la vie!
Jockman said:
Merci Julian !
Now that France's credit rating has been downgraded, perhaps this is a stealthy way of filling the coffers.
Peut-etre ??
Funny you should mention that. My parents said not so long ago that similar is going on in Spain - lots of people being fined for tiny offences. Now that France's credit rating has been downgraded, perhaps this is a stealthy way of filling the coffers.
Peut-etre ??
I got stopped last year for 195kph on a toll road got taken to the cash point and relieved of 130 euros. I then was taken to the motorway police station kept in for an hour after which I was told I was banned for a month and my wife would have to drive to the tunnel. All the police refused to even try any English and I could only get by with my very poor French. As if that wasn't bad enought two weeks after my return I received a demand for another 270 euros 
DavidV12V said:
I thought the whole car confiscation thing was related to kmph over the speed limit? Not the regular AM SatNav.....after all, imagine loosing your car for a volvo sat nav? 
I believe you are correct David. As noted by Mr K, we heard about that proposition last year.It's the added illegality of advance camera warnings that has come out of the bleu !!
They have the right to seize the car and sell it for "les excès de grande vitesse" i.e. anything 50km/h above the speed limit.
In reality this is only applied in cases of repeat offenses. Worrying, though, isn't it?
For the GPS radar warning devices, they have become illégal but the police have not yet received guidelines on how to charge / prosecute so for the time being they are unlikely to do anything other than try to get you to admit that you are aware that you are breaking the law (they love to do this).
I've lived in France for many years and dealing with the Police is not a pleasant experience.
In reality this is only applied in cases of repeat offenses. Worrying, though, isn't it?
For the GPS radar warning devices, they have become illégal but the police have not yet received guidelines on how to charge / prosecute so for the time being they are unlikely to do anything other than try to get you to admit that you are aware that you are breaking the law (they love to do this).
I've lived in France for many years and dealing with the Police is not a pleasant experience.
LordBretSinclair said:
Apologies if this is old news but I know they are also rigidly enforcing the stop lines.
Creeping over at less than walking pace will get you nicked. You need to come to a complete stop (and maybe count 1,2,3 - just my suggestion).
You're damn right!Creeping over at less than walking pace will get you nicked. You need to come to a complete stop (and maybe count 1,2,3 - just my suggestion).
They used to hide in the vineyards near the right side of a stop line (when you are looking left) just to count if you're waiting at least 3 (maybe 5) seconds of standstill!
My father in law experienced it twice on quiet B roads and was fined altough he had stopped behind the line!
After that they explained on TV that the police is placed in the danger zones to improve security!
Also beware of the orbital speedways ("le Périphérique" in Paris, "La Rocade" in Bordeaux, there are brutal changes in speed limits (from 110 to 60 sometimes!). Policemen are posted on the arches above the road and flash you (with a laser gun) from behind while you're slowing down...
Another proof if needed that Law Enforcement is another word for cash stealing IMO.
I remember when it was very frowned upon over in the UK to use camera and speed gun warning systems (it's not that long ago as I'm only 36). It was when ROad Angel were pushing their systems heavily if I remember correctly. Don't think it was ever illegal but the police hated it and I am sure they were trying to get them banned from use because they stated it meant people would speed everywhere except where a camera or a gun was.......seems funny now that most sat navs have this built in these days as standard given all the fuss that was caused at the time....
Went to Monte Carlo last May in a DBS with some friends (458, Scud, Ford GT). On the way home, around Lyon, four Imprezas in Police livery jumped out from behind trees with 'follow me' signs on.
We were fined 90 Euros for 100mph. I was told "be careful, above 115mph (185kph) we take your car.."
When they take your car (which does definitely happen - happened to a friend's friend) they basically lock it up, tell you to go home, allow you to visit it (this is not a joke!) and check it or clean it or whatever, then about a year later they'll call you and tell you to come pick it up.
I wouldn't imagine their storage is for free either.
We were fined 90 Euros for 100mph. I was told "be careful, above 115mph (185kph) we take your car.."
When they take your car (which does definitely happen - happened to a friend's friend) they basically lock it up, tell you to go home, allow you to visit it (this is not a joke!) and check it or clean it or whatever, then about a year later they'll call you and tell you to come pick it up.
I wouldn't imagine their storage is for free either.
The up side their money-grabbing motivated speed traps is that you are relatively risk-free on the best kind of roads - the empty ones
I pretty much drive at the speed limit on autoroutes and nationales, but get me on a departementale and it's wide open throttle. Plus these roads are generally much more fun to drive. And more difficult to get to licence losing speeds before the next corner...
I pretty much drive at the speed limit on autoroutes and nationales, but get me on a departementale and it's wide open throttle. Plus these roads are generally much more fun to drive. And more difficult to get to licence losing speeds before the next corner...
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