French speed cameras on TomTom

[Ranger 6]

I run a TomTom app called 'poi delete' - it is set up to delete all French and Swiss cameras with one touch. Have a look at the PocketGPSWorld forum for more info.

I did test it to make sure and it does work - re-installing them was a pain though but got it working in the end.

[majordad]

Can they search your sat nav ( I mean switch it on and trawl through its contents ). Would this not be against the law there ?

[vonhosen]

majordad said:

Would this not be against the law there ?

Do they worry about that then ?

[Lordbenny]

Just taken this from the Tom-Tom website...apparently their just calling camera sites 'Danger Zones' and thats it. And the French plod will simply just accept this? Hmmmmm!

'TomTom had a meeting with the Road Safety Ministry to clarify the situation regarding new and upcoming legislation. As a result, TomTom is introducing a 100% compliant Danger Zones service available in a free download for compatible products.'

[vonhosen]

Lordbenny said:

Just taken this from the Tom-Tom website...apparently their just calling camera sites 'Danger Zones' and thats it. And the French plod will simply just accept this? Hmmmmm!

'TomTom had a meeting with the Road Safety Ministry to clarify the situation regarding new and upcoming legislation. As a result, TomTom is introducing a 100% compliant Danger Zones service available in a free download for compatible products.'

That isn't all products that have camera warnings though.

[Lordbenny]

Just spoken to Tom Tom. If you have a 'Live' device there are no problems as the 'Danger Zone' updates will have downloaded automatically.

Danger zones basically alert you to a camera position within a 2km radius, it could be on your road, it could be on a nearby road. They have told me that this is in total compliance with the French laws and won't get you nicked!

If you have an older device (I mean really old) make sure you have turned off the French speed camera sites.

[soldierboy001]

Diamond blue said:

As i think someone else mentioned above there is no cross-border prosecution. Not in the immediate future either. I am pretty sure the Italians don't either.
As far as location on your sat nav then I would definitely disable that function. I don't honestly think you would have an issue but as its not serving any useful purpose in France then why take the risk?

Just to let you know that their is now cross board prosecution and not sure if it's all EU countries are now locked into each others National Computer systems if you get stopped i.e. in Spain at a check point they will know in seconds whether your car is taxed and insured for instance.
This has been checked out by a British motoring correspondent in Spain where he asked for it to be demonstrated to him.

[Lordbenny]

soldierboy001 said:

Just to let you know that their is now cross board prosecution and not sure if it's all EU countries are now locked into each others National Computer systems if you get stopped i.e. in Spain at a check point they will know in seconds whether your car is taxed and insured for instance.
This has been checked out by a British motoring correspondent in Spain where he asked for it to be demonstrated to him.

I don't think they'll send a GATSO camera fine back to the UK yet though.

[Dblue]

soldierboy001 said:

Diamond blue said:

As i think someone else mentioned above there is no cross-border prosecution. Not in the immediate future either. I am pretty sure the Italians don't either.
As far as location on your sat nav then I would definitely disable that function. I don't honestly think you would have an issue but as its not serving any useful purpose in France then why take the risk?

Just to let you know that their is now cross board prosecution and not sure if it's all EU countries are now locked into each others National Computer systems if you get stopped i.e. in Spain at a check point they will know in seconds whether your car is taxed and insured for instance.
This has been checked out by a British motoring correspondent in Spain where he asked for it to be demonstrated to him.

There is no SpeedCamera cross border prosecution as yet between the UK and ANY other European country. Now that does not mean that if you get stopped you will not suffer if you've been speeding or your insurance is not valid but if the fixed camera flashes, you don't have to worry............

Yet.

[The Stiglet]

Dblue said:

There is no SpeedCamera cross border prosecution as yet between the UK and ANY other European country. Now that does not mean that if you get stopped you will not suffer if you've been speeding or your insurance is not valid but if the fixed camera flashes, you don't have to worry............

Yet.

Given that they still can't get most of the cameras on the M25 working because they don't know which police force is responsible for them, I highly doubt that the bureaucratic and process driven EU states will sort this any time soon.

I think it's one of the reasons that the French police force are such bds when they stop a UK registered vehicle. That and the fact that they love making examples of foreigners in general.

[CampingGaz]

Some good background info here :

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/speed-cameras-in-f...

Especially this little bit :

1-5-2012: AC from France asserts that people should be warned that in France both satnav devices and mobile phones are considered to be an extension of one's private space and cannot be inspected by police officers without the local equivalent of a search warrant and a specially qualified 'officier de police judiciaire' (this means getting a judge to issue the document and will never be the case for random roadside checks). As a result the best method for anyone travelling in France and wishing to keep speed camera locations on their satnav device is just to turn it off before stopping the car in the event of a police check. The police officer cannot require that the unit be turned on again.

He offers the following document to download and print and keep in your glove compartment in case you ever get stopped and need to assert the law: (see text at bottom of above link)

p.s. Having been done last year in France by French motorcycle cops, they paid no attention to my sat nav or iPhone in its holder.

Edited by CampingGaz on Thursday 16th January 21:59

[Dblue]

CampingGaz said:

Some good background info here :

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/speed-cameras-in-f...

Especially this little bit :

1-5-2012: AC from France asserts that people should be warned that in France both satnav devices and mobile phones are considered to be an extension of one's private space and cannot be inspected by police officers without the local equivalent of a search warrant and a specially qualified 'officier de police judiciaire' (this means getting a judge to issue the document and will never be the case for random roadside checks). As a result the best method for anyone travelling in France and wishing to keep speed camera locations on their satnav device is just to turn it off before stopping the car in the event of a police check. The police officer cannot require that the unit be turned on again.

He offers the following document to download and print and keep in your glove compartment in case you ever get stopped and need to assert the law: (see text at bottom of above link)

p.s. Having been done last year in France by French motorcycle cops, they paid no attention to my sat nav or iPhone in its holder.

Edited by CampingGaz on Thursday 16th January 21:59

This is a good link.
But you don't have to worry about fixed speed cameras if you have a Uk registered car anyway. Being warned about them may make you less diligent about hand held devices which are a threat.

[TVR keith]

In a similar vein I was told by a VW dealer that no German car has speed camera sites warning on a built in sat nav as apparently its illegal in Germany. Interestingly my French Peugeot 407 (2009) had speed camera warning fitted (incl the French ones). The E class that I now drive does not have it so we put the Tom Tom in the glove box with no route selected powered by the 12v socket in the glove box, with the warning volume turned up it works fine!

[Dblue]

TVR keith said:

In a similar vein I was told by a VW dealer that no German car has speed camera sites warning on a built in sat nav as apparently its illegal in Germany. Interestingly my French Peugeot 407 (2009) had speed camera warning fitted (incl the French ones). The E class that I now drive does not have it so we put the Tom Tom in the glove box with no route selected powered by the 12v socket in the glove box, with the warning volume turned up it works fine!

Yes, clever, but pointless in Europe as you're not at risk from a Fixed Camera. Radar detector would be more use but also illegal in France