speeding in france
Discussion
We normally drive to St Jean D'mont every year. Last year not the way back we took a wrong turn and whilst having a debate with the other half I got a flash from a fixed camera.. it dropped from an 80 to a 50....... It was 6am in the morning and no other cars on the road (it was the Nantes ring road).
That was last August in a UK reg car.. not heard any thing...
I have to say that was a total lapse in concentration on my part and normally abroad I stick to the limits... 130kmh on a clear toll road is still a good pace with the family aboard!
That was last August in a UK reg car.. not heard any thing...
I have to say that was a total lapse in concentration on my part and normally abroad I stick to the limits... 130kmh on a clear toll road is still a good pace with the family aboard!
That's the curse of 'radars' isn't it? A split second's inattention and there's no chance to explain.
Just in case anyone with a French registered motor is passing through the Haute-Vienne, the Gendarmerie have a dark blue Megane estate that they leave parked around, sometimes just inside the 50kph limit on the outskirts of a village, with a nifty little camera bolted under the back bumper...
Just in case anyone with a French registered motor is passing through the Haute-Vienne, the Gendarmerie have a dark blue Megane estate that they leave parked around, sometimes just inside the 50kph limit on the outskirts of a village, with a nifty little camera bolted under the back bumper...
Just paid 46€ fine for speeding near La Rochelle in a Spanish reg car, doing 96 in 90 zone, only allowed a 5% error which is daft as I thought speedo's were allowed to be up to 10% out. fine was 150 and points if I sent documents in or pay on- line within 30 days no points and reduced to 46€, took than two weeks to catch me after offence. wont be long and everyone will be paying even in foreign plated cars. going to get my speedo checked as hanging around france for next few months.
Degz said:
I thought speedo's were allowed to be up to 10% out.
Unless bang on, a speedo must over-read speed so that when you look at the speedo, you're always travelling at or slower than the speedo tells you. Manufacturers have to make sure this is the case. What you're effectively saying is that you were knowingly speeding if you allowed for the 10% 
The speedo on my Range Rover Sport is surprisingly accurate and certainly not 10% out. Note different size tyres/rims can affect your actual speed vs speedo reading.
Use any GPS app on a phone to check its accuracy.
Upnorthgt3 said:
Very informative posts on here
Anyone know what the definitive (accurate) situation is regarding toll roads, toll booths and average speed/timing?
Urban myth. At least with a toll road tag.Anyone know what the definitive (accurate) situation is regarding toll roads, toll booths and average speed/timing?
Actually, I have never heard of anyone getting caught that way and I've lived there for 9 years.
Geekman said:
No, I'm alright as I am thanks.
If you honestly think exceeding 81MPH on a huge, wide, empty stretch of road in a large modern saloon car is dangerous then you might want to take a look at your own driving abilities before you start criticising others. For what it's worth, I've never been flashed on any roads apart from motorways, mainly because the speed limits in the town/countryside tend to be sensible.
I've only been stopped for speeding once, and happily paid my €90 and was sent on my way without any of the usual "child killer" lecture you'd expect in Britain. I got the definite impression that the gendarmes were well aware I wasn't doing anything dangerous, in the same way I was aware they were simply doing their job and enforcing the law.
You'll need to be careful though, as the french camera system will throw up regular occurrences against the same plate.If you honestly think exceeding 81MPH on a huge, wide, empty stretch of road in a large modern saloon car is dangerous then you might want to take a look at your own driving abilities before you start criticising others. For what it's worth, I've never been flashed on any roads apart from motorways, mainly because the speed limits in the town/countryside tend to be sensible.
I've only been stopped for speeding once, and happily paid my €90 and was sent on my way without any of the usual "child killer" lecture you'd expect in Britain. I got the definite impression that the gendarmes were well aware I wasn't doing anything dangerous, in the same way I was aware they were simply doing their job and enforcing the law.
I'm sure they get many and they don't go any further in terms of registering them. However, you could also end up pulled over to the side once you arrive in France at the port and have your fines/Penalties issued all at once
When travelling to into France last summer, a friends car, who I was travelling with at the time in convoy in my own car, had the same treatment and ended up with something like a Eu400 fine, which was conveniently what he had on him after questioning
As I understand it, the toll booths on some of the main link motorways also have number plate recognition cameras, which if operated, can warn the gendarmes, who you sometimes see sitting just past the toll booth exit drag.
It's very easy to blatantly flaunt the law by passing speed cameras in France with your English plates, but the French have a large sense of humour failure if you're caught, and they're not known for going easy on the English
graeme4130 said:
You'll need to be careful though, as the french camera system will throw up regular occurrences against the same plate.
I'm sure they get many and they don't go any further in terms of registering them. However, you could also end up pulled over to the side once you arrive in France at the port and have your fines/Penalties issued all at once
When travelling to into France last summer, a friends car, who I was travelling with at the time in convoy in my own car, had the same treatment and ended up with something like a Eu400 fine, which was conveniently what he had on him after questioning
As I understand it, the toll booths on some of the main link motorways also have number plate recognition cameras, which if operated, can warn the gendarmes, who you sometimes see sitting just past the toll booth exit drag.
It's very easy to blatantly flaunt the law by passing speed cameras in France with your English plates, but the French have a large sense of humour failure if you're caught, and they're not known for going easy on the English
Never heard of that happening, despite having numerous friends who've been flashed at least as much me. Have to admit, in that situation I'd simply remain quiet and ask for a lawyer - can't see how they could possibly fine me when they'd have no proof that I was even driving at the time of the offences, and have no authority to communicate with the DVLA. For all they know, I could have just bought the car and the fines could have been accrued by the previous owner. It's for that exact reason that they've implemented this new law to come in May 2017 - so they will at last be able to track the owner and driver of the car.I'm sure they get many and they don't go any further in terms of registering them. However, you could also end up pulled over to the side once you arrive in France at the port and have your fines/Penalties issued all at once
When travelling to into France last summer, a friends car, who I was travelling with at the time in convoy in my own car, had the same treatment and ended up with something like a Eu400 fine, which was conveniently what he had on him after questioning
As I understand it, the toll booths on some of the main link motorways also have number plate recognition cameras, which if operated, can warn the gendarmes, who you sometimes see sitting just past the toll booth exit drag.
It's very easy to blatantly flaunt the law by passing speed cameras in France with your English plates, but the French have a large sense of humour failure if you're caught, and they're not known for going easy on the English
I'll be going through the port in a few weeks so I'll let you all know what happens - I'll be very amused if they try to stop me leaving France, so that I can stay and keep setting off their radars
Geekman said:
graeme4130 said:
You'll need to be careful though, as the french camera system will throw up regular occurrences against the same plate.
I'm sure they get many and they don't go any further in terms of registering them. However, you could also end up pulled over to the side once you arrive in France at the port and have your fines/Penalties issued all at once
When travelling to into France last summer, a friends car, who I was travelling with at the time in convoy in my own car, had the same treatment and ended up with something like a Eu400 fine, which was conveniently what he had on him after questioning
As I understand it, the toll booths on some of the main link motorways also have number plate recognition cameras, which if operated, can warn the gendarmes, who you sometimes see sitting just past the toll booth exit drag.
It's very easy to blatantly flaunt the law by passing speed cameras in France with your English plates, but the French have a large sense of humour failure if you're caught, and they're not known for going easy on the English
Never heard of that happening, despite having numerous friends who've been flashed at least as much me. Have to admit, in that situation I'd simply remain quiet and ask for a lawyer - can't see how they could possibly fine me when they'd have no proof that I was even driving at the time of the offences, and have no authority to communicate with the DVLA. For all they know, I could have just bought the car and the fines could have been accrued by the previous owner. It's for that exact reason that they've implemented this new law to come in May 2017 - so they will at last be able to track the owner and driver of the car.I'm sure they get many and they don't go any further in terms of registering them. However, you could also end up pulled over to the side once you arrive in France at the port and have your fines/Penalties issued all at once
When travelling to into France last summer, a friends car, who I was travelling with at the time in convoy in my own car, had the same treatment and ended up with something like a Eu400 fine, which was conveniently what he had on him after questioning
As I understand it, the toll booths on some of the main link motorways also have number plate recognition cameras, which if operated, can warn the gendarmes, who you sometimes see sitting just past the toll booth exit drag.
It's very easy to blatantly flaunt the law by passing speed cameras in France with your English plates, but the French have a large sense of humour failure if you're caught, and they're not known for going easy on the English
I'll be going through the port in a few weeks so I'll let you all know what happens - I'll be very amused if they try to stop me leaving France, so that I can stay and keep setting off their radars
In the case of his 'prosecution' he was basically read off a list of times and place for the speeding tickets by a Policeman getting the information over a radio (He reckoned he was due far more, but was only read out 3 or 4) and told in a very informal (standard French police style) that his fine was payable on the spot or they'd be impounding his car and generally making his life hard.
Whether this was a one off or not, who knows, but I'd certainly be careful
Edited by graeme4130 on Wednesday 20th May 14:48
Upnorthgt3 said:
Very informative posts on here
Anyone know what the definitive (accurate) situation is regarding toll roads, toll booths and average speed/timing?
Definitive answer is its bAnyone know what the definitive (accurate) situation is regarding toll roads, toll booths and average speed/timing?
ks. Peeps pulled and fined at tollbooths have been nicked by hidden radar a few miles before the peage.Paul
Corbeliere said:
Upnorthgt3 said:
Very informative posts on here
Anyone know what the definitive (accurate) situation is regarding toll roads, toll booths and average speed/timing?
Urban myth. At least with a toll road tag.Anyone know what the definitive (accurate) situation is regarding toll roads, toll booths and average speed/timing?
Actually, I have never heard of anyone getting caught that way and I've lived there for 9 years.
A few years ago I got pulled over on a rather nice section of country lane near LM.Tatty van parked/dumped outside a rather grand (once) farm house.Hidden camera! However after the officer told me what my speed was in a seventy he asked for my documents.Checked my license, took a lot of interest in my race license that was in the same wallet, quick chat about the upcoming race, telling me I should know better, he then looked at my insurance certificate".One moment please, I need to check something". Oh good, something else wrong!.When he came back he just handed the cert back smiling and said to keep my speed in check, save it for the circuit.
I have always been insured by AXA, a French company.Im sure had it of been an english company it would have cost me a fair bit for being thirty seven kph over the limit.
I have always been insured by AXA, a French company.Im sure had it of been an english company it would have cost me a fair bit for being thirty seven kph over the limit.
Geekman said:
It's a smartphone navigation app, a bit like google maps, only users can report hazards/traffic/police/speed traps. So many people use it in France that speed traps tend to get reported pretty much as soon as they're set up. The navigation and route planning is just as good as any other app, and you get the "danger zones" where it warns you if you're near a fixed speed camera. I use it every day, never failed me yet.
https://www.waze.com/
Do these work like the cayote ?https://www.waze.com/
Geekman said:
Never user coyote so I don't know I'm afraid.
For anyone who's interested, I iust arrived back in England with no problems - wasn't stopped at the border or anything. So I think it's safe to say that they don't follow up these things.
Do you completely ignore speed cameras in the UK and just drive past them at a speed you feel is appropriate?For anyone who's interested, I iust arrived back in England with no problems - wasn't stopped at the border or anything. So I think it's safe to say that they don't follow up these things.
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