Le Mans and speeding

[Roverload]

Judging by the taxi ride I just got into town the police aren't really focusing on speeding haha!

[aw51 121565]

XJ Flyer said:

lowdrag said:

Er - what non-autoroute speed reductions? They are being discussed, but no action has been taken.

"90€ up to 170 kph" is a fallacy. Get caught at that speed on the autoroute and it is 750€ minimum but more likely 1,500€. 90€ is up to 20 kph over the limit, unless they are being very kind and ignore the small fry while looking for the big fish.

It's easy to confuse actual official 'reductions' in the limits with more enforcement.So admittedly while there might not have been any real official reductions,just like on the autoroutes,it's the level of enforcement that matters and which has changed.

IE just as very few people bothered about the 130 kmh limit on autoroutes the actual official 90 kmh limits on RN's and D roads was effectively irrelevant in most cases.However the fact is a strictly enforced out of town 90 kmh regime is effectively a massive reduction and assuming you're right about the penalties and margins on autoroutes those same penalties and margins obviously apply on non motorway roads.

It's just that,as I said,in the case of non autoroute type roads those margins are obviously based on a much lower limit of 90 kmh on single carriageways and 110 kmh on duals.Which could potentially be even more of a liability in regards to penalties given French road and traffic conditions and the right quick car.So my comments,concerning the use of non motorway roads,to 'stretch the legs'of even a remotely quick car,being the worst choice as opposed to the autoroutes,still stand.

You DO know that lowdrag lives in the locality of Le Mans and speaketh sense/the truth as to the situation there as well as in France generally (year upon year, even helping out fallen [speeding] PH brethren caught at grande vitesse with their vehicles confiscated at the time when they later appear in French courts), don't you?

^^ Is deadly serious .

Confucious say: research whose threads one comments upon , before micturating on one's pommes frites .

[XJ Flyer]

aw51 121565 said:

You DO know that lowdrag lives in the locality of Le Mans and speaketh sense/the truth as to the situation there as well as in France generally (year upon year, even helping out fallen [speeding] PH brethren caught at grande vitesse with their vehicles confiscated at the time when they later appear in French courts), don't you?

^^ Is deadly serious .

Confucious say: research whose threads one comments upon , before micturating on one's pommes frites .

None of which changes the fact that the speed limits on non autoroute roads are a lot less than on autoroutes.In which case my comments,concerning the margins and penalties applying accordingly,still stand.

[Davwlk]

I'd basically take whatever Lowdrag says as gospel regarding the local Dibble.

[lewisco]

What was with there being people stood on every bridge on the auto route pretty much from Le Mans to Rouen? Saw a S2000 get pulled by a police bike into a stop with a police car waiting and was thinking the people might be spotters for speeders?

[allojon]

Davwlk said:

I'd basically take whatever Lowdrag says as gospel regarding the local Dibble.

Ignorant.

[Gixer]

The people on bridges were local people, not plod. Just waving, photographing cars - as usual. Plod escorting cars off that were caught speeding. There were a few parked up in the side of the roads as usual

[JimmyH77]

I had the cruise control set at 125kph & they still flagged my down & nicked me saying I was doing 159kph......!?!?!?

When I asked to see the evidence of the offence they got very shirty with me...... Demanded the car keys, license & passports off us & it was basically pay the 90€ fine in cash right now or we impound the car & you with spend a night in the clink.....

My poor 8yr old was traumatised thinking he & dad was getting locked up bless him.....

I mean fairs fair if I was speeding & got caught........ but to just "say" I was caught at 159kph & not be even willing to show me the evidence is just wrong.....

We were travelling in nothing flash but just an average family estate so they clearly also just pick out non French cars at random too....... Lol

[Shnozz]

Sadly I have heard of similar tales in Spain these days. From sources that I believe entirely when they say they were not speeding but have been clobbered with a fine. It's concerning me in terms of taking a slightly flash car down to Spain for a few weeks.

[JimmyH77]

Shnozz said:

Sadly I have heard of similar tales in Spain these days. From sources that I believe entirely when they say they were not speeding but have been clobbered with a fine. It's concerning me in terms of taking a slightly flash car down to Spain for a few weeks.

All I can say is take extra cash with you as they seem to be a law to themselves lol

I'd have accepted it a lot better if I was actually speeding as it would have been a fair cop......

But when we hadn't the need to speed as we left the circuit at around 4pm to catch a 11pm ferry.....

Ah well...... ;-)

[wardmj1]

Saw 2 Police on the Autoroute between Le Mans and Rouen - Camo'd guy hidden in bushes with a lazer and 2 cars further down pulling people, one was a British Aston and the other was a French 5 series. Both left us for dead when we had the cruise control set at 80 MPH.

That was all we saw all the way up so it "seemed" comparatively light this year although we may have just been lucky.

Got more scared at 11:00pm on the M20 when we hit a fox. That st me right up.

[lowdrag]

JimmyH77 said:

Shnozz said:

Sadly I have heard of similar tales in Spain these days. From sources that I believe entirely when they say they were not speeding but have been clobbered with a fine. It's concerning me in terms of taking a slightly flash car down to Spain for a few weeks.

All I can say is take extra cash with you as they seem to be a law to themselves lol

I'd have accepted it a lot better if I was actually speeding as it would have been a fair cop......

But when we hadn't the need to speed as we left the circuit at around 4pm to catch a 11pm ferry.....

Ah well...... ;-)

My tip for travelling in Spain has always been to keep a maximum of 100 euros in cash on my person. I put the rest under the car mat, shrug when they try and fine me a fortune and pretend not to understand at all. If they take cards now then all bets are off, but in the past they finally gave in and accepted what I had on my person.

[jdwcd]

Didnt see any cops on way down or on way back. VERY boring driving at 68mph for most of journey home.

[Tin Hat]

We were driving down on Friday morning and who do we see at the first toll booth? - Les Gendarmes avec les 'Old Bill'

Yup, the French appeared to have asked our guys over to lend a hand - They were pulling over the sportier cars and having a ( presumably polite? ) word. Looked pretty cool too with UK and French Police all badged up.

This is slightly alarming as:

1. This was the last of any obvious Police presence until we got to LM
2. Everyone respected the speed limit

I have nothing but respect for those that thought up this strategy and actually made it happen, it can't have been easy to organise and saved a few tales of large fines and misery....Top work and great Policing

[seawise]

Tin Hat said:

We were driving down on Friday morning and who do we see at the first toll booth? - Les Gendarmes avec les 'Old Bill'

Yup, the French appeared to have asked our guys over to lend a hand - They were pulling over the sportier cars and having a ( presumably polite? ) word. Looked pretty cool too with UK and French Police all badged up.

yes they stopped me - no reason besides I was driving a bright red Porsche Turbo on UK plates. the jovial UK copper (Kent Police with a 5 series estate) tried to find something amiss with my paperwork to point out to the French Police he was 'liasing' with and unsurprisingly given the long list of requirements he found three fails on my part.

a. I did not have my driving license on me (silly mistake on my part, but I never carry it in the UK)
b. my yellow jacket was in the boot, thus not accessible.
c. I did not have my MOT certificate to hand (give me strength).

after discussion with the local French Police they decided that I was a nice polite chap and really and we were all just wasting time and I went on my way after swapping drivers to someone who did have their driving license to hand.

[XJ Flyer]

Tin Hat said:

We were driving down on Friday morning and who do we see at the first toll booth? - Les Gendarmes avec les 'Old Bill'

Yup, the French appeared to have asked our guys over to lend a hand - They were pulling over the sportier cars and having a ( presumably polite? ) word. Looked pretty cool too with UK and French Police all badged up.

This is slightly alarming as:

1. This was the last of any obvious Police presence until we got to LM
2. Everyone respected the speed limit

I have nothing but respect for those that thought up this strategy and actually made it happen, it can't have been easy to organise and saved a few tales of large fines and misery....Top work and great Policing

Or proof of the relatively recent crackdown on speed on French roads having the grubby paw prints of the UK government all over it.While adding credibility to the argument that the European fast rail interests are behind it.Maybe they'd like to send Les Old Bill over to Germany for the Nurburgring 24 where it would be great to have the upper hand over them for once.

Edited by XJ Flyer on Monday 16th June 14:39

[Porkerr]

JimmyH77 said:

I had the cruise control set at 125kph & they still flagged my down & nicked me saying I was doing 159kph......!?!?!?

When I asked to see the evidence of the offence they got very shirty with me...... Demanded the car keys, license & passports off us & it was basically pay the 90€ fine in cash right now or we impound the car & you with spend a night in the clink.....

My poor 8yr old was traumatised thinking he & dad was getting locked up bless him.....

I mean fairs fair if I was speeding & got caught........ but to just "say" I was caught at 159kph & not be even willing to show me the evidence is just wrong.....

We were travelling in nothing flash but just an average family estate so they clearly also just pick out non French cars at random too....... Lol

I've had the same thing happen to me, only I was told I was doing 181km/h, I had to fork out €750 and lost my license for 3 months. No proof whatsoever was given.

Utterly disgusted by their behavior.

[WhyTwo]

One of our group in an m3 got pulled on the way back. He is adamant he had his cruise control set at 80. He was told he was doing 143. He asked for evidence and there was none forthcoming. €90 later he was on his way. It's nothing but a fund raiser.

Another of our group got pulled in his m3 about 5 miles out of Calais doing 139 in 110, fair enough but again no evidence. This was where the uk bib were 'helping'.

Strangely one of the guys on our campsite in an F-Type S got pulled at 145 but was let off with a warning. There really is no rhyme or reason to it.

[XJ Flyer]

Porkerr said:

JimmyH77 said:

I had the cruise control set at 125kph & they still flagged my down & nicked me saying I was doing 159kph......!?!?!?

When I asked to see the evidence of the offence they got very shirty with me...... Demanded the car keys, license & passports off us & it was basically pay the 90€ fine in cash right now or we impound the car & you with spend a night in the clink.....

My poor 8yr old was traumatised thinking he & dad was getting locked up bless him.....

I mean fairs fair if I was speeding & got caught........ but to just "say" I was caught at 159kph & not be even willing to show me the evidence is just wrong.....

We were travelling in nothing flash but just an average family estate so they clearly also just pick out non French cars at random too....... Lol

I've had the same thing happen to me, only I was told I was doing 181km/h, I had to fork out €750 and lost my license for 3 months. No proof whatsoever was given.

Utterly disgusted by their behavior.

It was probably always going to be predictable that if they are out to nick people but too many people are keeping to the limit then they'll have to start fitting people up to justify their existence.

[JimmyH77]

Porkerr said:

I've had the same thing happen to me, only I was told I was doing 181km/h, I had to fork out €750 and lost my license for 3 months. No proof whatsoever was given.

Utterly disgusted by their behavior.

Ouch!