'Legal' speeding in France?

[rdjohn]

Last January, heading to Spain for 3 months, I set the cruise control on 140kph. I was clocked by two mobile units 10km apart. As it took me 3 months to pick-up the paperwork, that cost me €360.

I will set it to 130km next year.

[Johno]

That's harsh . . .. the tolerance on speeding is very narrow, both statics that got me after tolerance i got pinged for kmph over the limit, i think its only something like 8 or 9kmph at 130, but even allowing for 10% inaccuracy of a speedo normally over reading that's unlucky John . . .

[Stedman]

Just stick to the limits - too many French reg'd cars are getting done all too often at too small a % over the limit.

You have been warned.

[rdjohn]

Johno said:

That's harsh . . .. the tolerance on speeding is very narrow, both statics that got me after tolerance i got pinged for kmph over the limit, i think its only something like 8 or 9kmph at 130, but even allowing for 10% inaccuracy of a speedo normally over reading that's unlucky John . . .

The tolerance on all speed limits is just 5kph, so keeping to the limit is the only sound answer.

[OlegI]

rdjohn said:

The tolerance on all speed limits is just 5kph, so keeping to the limit is the only sound answer.

I thought it was 5kph up to 100kph, then 5% thereafter?

I often do 136 (GPS) through the 130 radars without setting them off.

[Philippo]

From the tickets I have received on my French registered cars, they take 5% of your actual recorded speed off this speed and then seem to round up.

So for instance I have been recorded at 97km/h which, resulted in a fine for doing 92km/h on one occasion. On another occasion, when i actually lost my license for 6 weeks I was recorded at 144km/h and prosecuted for doing 136km/h in a 90km/h.

More ingenious methods of catching speeders are on the way. The gendarmerie are currently testing new dashboard mounted cameras that will enable speeders coming in the opposite direction to be detected!

Cheers

[Marcellus]

Mind you, got to say whenever we've been done it was a very pleasant experience as they relieve you of your €s.

None of the "think of the children/planet/world/dangers to self/wife" that you seem to get in the UK, just a simple matter of fact, polite, "we caught you so would you mind signing here"

[Balmoral]

threesixty said:

I've always been informed (and researched) that you need to be going 50kph over the posted limit in France before things start getting too serious.

40kph over is an instant ban, no leeway.

rdjohn said:

I set the cruise control on 140kph. I was clocked by two mobile units 10km apart.

A friend of mine just got back, he got nicked twice for doing nothing much at all, a 140 something on the 1st, and a 130 something on the second. On the 2nd occasion he was trying to comply with the limit, but drifted a touch over and was unlucky.

Entirely consistent with my experiences and what was discussed in this thread...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Davidonly]

I no longer spend anymore time than necessary in the northern parts of France.......... They are pointlessly obsessed with numerical speed measurements. Not sure why its allowed to continue? I try to nip into Germany ASAP then can strike to most of the nice bits of Europe without being paranoid about scams.

D routes in the south (Verdon) seem as relaxing as Scotland however

[Amateurish]

Totally anecdotal obviously, but I do the drive to the Alps several times a year. I always stick the cruise on 160 and never have any trouble.

[lowdrag]

Out of curiosity I've been trying out the fixed cameras here, and since I have UK plates it can't harm me if I set the thing off. Using the GPS as a true measure of speed, I've found they don't go off until I reach a true 137 kph which is far more on the speedo.

[JnP]

threesixty said:

I've always been informed (and researched) that you need to be going 50kph over the posted limit in France before things start getting too serious. Below that and its just a cash fine.

As a general rule I'll cruise the autoroute(130kph limit) at around 160kph and have never had any trouble (*touches wood*).

If you're planning on really putting your foot down you'd be wise to have a passenger. They can and will ban you on the spot and leave you stranded unless of course you have a passenger who's able to take over.

Used to be true but in France, if you go 40kph above the speed limit they take away your license straight up. This is usually my limit !

[lowdrag]

Luckily we have "connections" so knew that the BiB were going to be at the entry to our village yeterday morning, two motards behind the hedge with the camera, but a close neighbour got done at 68kph so 90€ and 2 points. Today they are in the country at the tip (déchetterie) where for less than a kilometre there is a 50kph limit and the evening at the entry of the next village. But I mean, a country lane, no houses, and a temporary 50 kph - and they are setting up there when it gets dark at 17.30pm so you won't see them. It really is getting tough here.

[Perik Omo]

I'm driving up from Haute-Vienne to Caen via Le Mans tomorrow evening. Anything I should look out for on the main roads (Autoroute)?

[Stedman]

Perik Omo said:

I'm driving up from Haute-Vienne to Caen via Le Mans tomorrow evening. Anything I should look out for on the main roads (Autoroute)?

That's the route I often do to and from my parents. The only part i'm extra careful on is the very long open stretches on the A20 (i've only ever gone from/to J21). If it seems a bit dodgy, it probably is! I haven't seen the Gendarmes anywhere else on that route though, to be fair.

Sticking to the posted limits is the easy way of staying out of trouble. Have a good journey!

[Perik Omo]

Cheers Stedman. Just wondered if there were any speed limit changes I should be aware of. I know about the one on the A10 near Tours where the 110 has been reduced to 90 and it's caught out loads of people, apparently one of the most lucrative speed cameras in the last 6 months.

PS Just found this:

"The speed camera on the A10 at St Avertin near Tours has the world record for number of flashes in 2012 at over 135000."

Edited by Perik Omo on Saturday 8th December 20:00

[mikey77]

The A10 seems to have gendarmes with speed guns hiding on the side of overbridges these days.

[lowdrag]

Perik Omo said:

Cheers Stedman. Just wondered if there were any speed limit changes I should be aware of. I know about the one on the A10 near Tours where the 110 has been reduced to 90 and it's caught out loads of people, apparently one of the most lucrative speed cameras in the last 6 months.

PS Just found this:

"The speed camera on the A10 at St Avertin near Tours has the world record for number of flashes in 2012 at over 135000."

Not surprising, because it is going downhill where the limit drops to 90kph - on a three lane stretch. But it is going south, not north

Anyway, OP, are you on UK or French plates? If the former, please go through every fixed camera with middle finger raised and smile please - they can't touch you. It'll also depend on the time of day too - at night the BiB do use cameras but they are human too; if it is pishing down horizontally at zero degrees they usually take comfort by going home. be reasonable - I set the cruise at 145 kph - and you'll usually have a safew journey - except at Tours!

[Perik Omo]

No, French pates unfortunately. Only one iffy thing happened when I passed a white Peugeot estate parked on the hard shoulder with nobody in it but as I passed it I saw a camera (also white) placed at number plate level on a bracket on the tow bar, again this is on the A10 north of Poitiers. B******s, oh well wait and see if I've got some unexpected xmas post when I get back!!!

[lowdrag]

Oh dear! Also watch out for their new trick, which is a square window in the front of a luggage top box. They have one around here and while used to looking for the beige Renault estate with a window in the back I only spotted their new trick while on foot in town. B'stards.