driving in france

[Beanoir]

There is no cross-border agreement between France and the UK that allows them to endorse your license due to fixed speed camera. The only way you'll get caught for speeding in France is there and then with mobile speed traps.

Having said that, they are trying to chance this at the moment so it likely won't be long.

[footsoldier]

i drive in France a lot, on a car with UK plates. It is correct that there is no way for them to follow up on fixed camera "flashes", so don't worry if you get caught by them. (This only works on UK plates, not on hire car). (there is always a speed camera within a few hundred metres of a warning sign by law)

Mobile cameras are different, and I generally don't speed too much anyway, just to be polite! There are different fines for different excess speeds, and more than 50kph above limit and they can take your car.

The toll tags are very useful - mainly because it avoids getting out of car if you don't have a passenger. You can apply online and they come quickly. I am "based" in Haute Savoie for toll purposes so get a discount on local tolls, so worth choosing if you are in a specific area. They now have 30kph lanes where you don't even have to stop if tagged.

On headlights - I have a high car there (merc GL), and didn't change headlights to begin with. I was constantly flashed by truck drivers on the trip over. Put on the sticky beam deflectors, and haven't been flashed since, so must make a difference.

[neil-f]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

It is a sensible item to carry in UK, in France if stopped and checked you will get 90 euro fine without one. They have to be carried in the passenger compartment, if in the boot 90 euro fine!
Not worth the fine for a £2.00 item...

[Orangecurry]

rObArtes said:

thanks everyone

how many of you have been pulled over ?

We were pulled over in the Subaru (which has standard UK registration plates) last summer - we were in the middle of nowhere but approaching an autoroute.

Two Gends flagged us over, and one looked carefully at all the documents - they were not interested in anything else - the other one did walk around the car, but he didn't look properly at anything.

As said above, use common sense and you'll be fine.

If you are planning on taking a car over there often - buy a set of proper dateless plates from DVLA - three letters and three numbers. From a distance it looks like a Belgian plate. Makes you more invisible than a Q-division Aston Martin.

Well that's my theory as I've never been stopped in the Porsche.

[gsewell]

What docs do you need to carry - and can they be photocopies? I don't like leaving a V5 in the car for obvious reasons.

[V8KSN]

I may be talking bks here..... hope someone can correct me if I am.

I have heard...

You should NOT show your V5 if you are caught doing a silly speed as they can confiscate the car if its 'yours'. Just say you cant find it.

What you do show is all the paperwork like insurance and your driving license etc and pay whatever fine they decide to hit you with.....then carry on driving.

[neil-f]

V5, insurance cert, MOT and you need both parts of your driving licence with you, if car does not belong to you need to carry authority from the owner. Colour photocopy of V5 might be OK but think they want originals

[J12KJR]

About 3 years back I was waved into a layby with a lovely mobile camera set up in the dry ditch next to it which was all but invisible when I came around the slight bend. That aside the officer in question pointed out in very good English (put my French to shame) that without the hi vis jackets which were in the door pockets of the Sagaris I would be paying another 90 euros on top of the 90 for the speeding.
Personally I would prefer to have a couple of £2 hi vis jackets in the car rather than add another 90 euros to the fine I'm already having to pay.
Each to their own of course but why give them any additional excuse to extract more of your hard earned cash from you.

[Carmo99]

rObArtes said:

i thought the rule for breathalyser's had changed?

Yes it has. No longer required.

[bcr5784]

J12KJR said:

About 3 years back I was waved into a layby with a lovely mobile camera set up in the dry ditch next to it which was all but invisible when I came around the slight bend. That aside the officer in question pointed out in very good English (put my French to shame) that without the hi vis jackets which were in the door pockets of the Sagaris I would be paying another 90 euros on top of the 90 for the speeding.
Personally I would prefer to have a couple of £2 hi vis jackets in the car rather than add another 90 euros to the fine I'm already having to pay.
Each to their own of course but why give them any additional excuse to extract more of your hard earned cash from you.

Always wondered what to do with the two, awkward to access cubby holes behind the driver and passengers heads in the Cayman - high viz jackets seem like the best candidate to date.

[nsm3]

Not France, but me and pal on motorcycles were relieved of 150 euros in Spain once, middle of the countryside, by two cops (GC), one of which did nothing but tap on the handle of his revolver! We had been behind a truck coming down a mountain and when we got to them, completely unsighted due to the terrain, we were in front. Apparently it was all double line. Didn't feel the need to query that?

No paperwork checked or issued and we are pretty sure the Euro notes found their way into their back pockets?

Have set off many a speed camera in France, but never received a ticket, although you do need to take special care within 100 miles of Calais as they see an English plate as an ATM.

All things in the EU aren't necessarily equal.

[ilduce]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

There are two other options you've forgotten:
1. you get a puncture on the autoroute and Le Flic see you without a hi-vis.
2. you get pulled over for a normal spot check and you don't have a hi-vis.

Either way your day is going to get worse and Le Flic is going to get richer.




BTW- this law applies in Spain and Italy too.

[Beanoir]

given how cheap and how little space a hi-vis takes up in the car is it really worth NOT taking one?

I have one with Suez Environnement printed right across the back of it....just to get me into the French mood.

[neil-f]

ilduce said:

There are two other options you've forgotten:
1. you get a puncture on the autoroute and Le Flic see you without a hi-vis.
2. you get pulled over for a normal spot check and you don't have a hi-vis.

Either way your day is going to get worse and Le Flic is going to get richer



BTW- this law applies in Spain and Italy too.

Absolutely agree.
cmoose seems to want to give himself extra grief, it's his call.
I have always carried them in the UK, all my cars have them in, don't want to be on a country roadside at night with a puncture or have a breakdown without one.
How many times have you been on an un lite road at night and come across someone in dark clothing, scary stuff!

[nickfrog]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I think it is very sensible to have hi viz jackets. Mortality rate when exiting a stranded car near a main road is very high. The French Police or Gendarmerie don't particularly target foreign vehicles either.

[ChipsAndCheese]

I think legally you are supposed to have a Warning triangle, hi-vis vest and Breathalysers (IIRC, the law is still in place but they can no longer fine you for non-compliance, so it's a bit pointless. Might be worth it to avoid potential hassles).

I seem to remember being told that I needed a First aid kit and spare bulbs too, though they're not listed in the links below, so may no longer apply for France and may have been for one of the other European countries I was visiting. Oh and if you don't have the blue strip with GB on your reg plate, you're supposed to have a GB sticker too.

These AA links may be helpful:
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/gene...
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/...

ETA:
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/...

Edited by ChipsAndCheese on Wednesday 25th March 16:23

[wulfy66]

Standard Cay & Box headlights are sooo poor anyway you would have to be mega unlucky to get into trouble with French plod. I've been over loads of times recently and never bothered with beam stickers or tape on the lights.

As already mentioned, the breathalyser law has been postponed.

Also, don't forget over there you are not allowed to have any camera detecting equipment in the car even if it is part of a sat nav system. (That said, I have just had a laser jammer fitted so I will have to be careful not to be pulled over for something silly)

[bcr5784]

wulfy66 said:

Standard Cay & Box headlights are sooo poor anyway you would have to be mega unlucky to get into trouble with French plod. I've been over loads of times recently and never bothered with beam stickers or tape on the lights.

As already mentioned, the breathalyser law has been postponed.

Also, don't forget over there you are not allowed to have any camera detecting equipment in the car even if it is part of a sat nav system. (That said, I have just had a laser jammer fitted so I will have to be careful not to be pulled over for something silly)

I thought the situation was that, as you say, you weren't allowed camera DETECTING equipment (ie a receptor of some kind) but a Sat Nav (or phone) using GPS was OK. I know there was a period where this was unclear, but I think that is the case now.

[J12KJR]

bcr5784 said:

I thought the situation was that, as you say, you weren't allowed camera DETECTING equipment (ie a receptor of some kind) but a Sat Nav (or phone) using GPS was OK. I know there was a period where this was unclear, but I think that is the case now.

This was the wording on the Tom tom site last time I went over to France (couple of years ago) basically danger zones are highlighted and those may or may not have cameras within them.

Changes to the law in France

Since decree n°2012-3 was introduced on 3 January 2012 it has been illegal to be warned about the position of fixed or mobile speed cameras while you are driving in France. If your TomTom navigation device has the Speed Camera service and you continue to use the service, you risk a fine of up to €1500.
New update: TomTom Speed Camera service becomes Danger Zones in France
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.

[bcr5784]

J12KJR said:

This was the wording on the Tom tom site last time I went over to France (couple of years ago) basically danger zones are highlighted and those may or may not have cameras within them.

Changes to the law in France

Since decree n°2012-3 was introduced on 3 January 2012 it has been illegal to be warned about the position of fixed or mobile speed cameras while you are driving in France. If your TomTom navigation device has the Speed Camera service and you continue to use the service, you risk a fine of up to €1500.
New update: TomTom Speed Camera service becomes Danger Zones in France
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.

You're right - this from Pocket GPS world

"France & Switzerland

Using a speed camera database like ours in Switzerland is illegal. As such the data is available as an option with the European database.

As of 5th January 2012 'Speed Cameras Warnings' are illegal in France. However, 'Warnings for Dangerous Zones' are legal. The French data is available as an option in the European database. Unfortuntely until manufacturers open up the 'warning zones' to 3rd parties we cannot comply with the French law as we only provide set points. Use of the French data is at your own risk"


Sorry if I misled anyone. All that said it does seem like a load of bks if you can have a speed camera warning so long as you don't call it that and don't get too specific on location.