Discussion
Just met pal who returned last night from La belle France. Gendarmerie spotted his radar detector while in a service area. 750 euros and the usual hassle. The French don't like tax collectors much - if they continue to proliferate speed cameras and it could get highly entertaining as the paysans revolt ..........
Hollywood Wheels said:
750 euros
Really?
your mate was lucky ...maximum fine is
Speed trap detectors are illegal in France. The mere existence of a speed trap detector in a vehicle, even if switched off or packed in luggage, attracts a fine of up to €3000, confiscation of the device, potentially also of the vehicle, and in some cases a prison sentence !!!
big no no in France !!
I believe this is current:
www.automobile-sportive.com/technique/permis/tableau-contraventions-mars2004.pdf
Line 2 includes carrying a radar-detecting device. If you have a French licence, worst case is €1500 fine & 3 year ban if they're having a bad day. Don't know how this relates to foreign licences.
www.automobile-sportive.com/technique/permis/tableau-contraventions-mars2004.pdf
Line 2 includes carrying a radar-detecting device. If you have a French licence, worst case is €1500 fine & 3 year ban if they're having a bad day. Don't know how this relates to foreign licences.
Having been warned about this new tourist tax in france, I seem to remember removing mine and hiding it under the floor next to the spare wheel in the boot of my car last time I travelled through France. Thoughts being that it would have been less likely to have been found if I was pulled over for any reason.
>> Edited by sjtscott on Tuesday 30th May 17:29
>> Edited by sjtscott on Tuesday 30th May 17:29
"So if I've got my Origin GPS bracket hardwired to the dash, and my Origin is in my baggage, does that mean I'm in trouble in France?"
Don't even think about getting caught with a Road Angel or indeed anything else. Rubber gloves time, no lube. Even if it's tucked in your luggage.
The guy who got away with 750 euros had a lucky escape, frankly.
You do not want to spend the afternoon in a French prison while your wife bails you out with her credit card. Trust me.
>> Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Tuesday 30th May 19:39
Vesuvius 996 said:
You do not want to spend the afternoon in a French prison while your wife bails you out with her credit card. Trust me.
Sounds dangerously like personal experience
It's only a short run to Dover, I'm sure I can leave the unit at home for any French visits. I wonder if the bracket without the unit will attract attention though, I can do without ripping that out just for the pleasure of donating to the French economy 
Bonjour,
Being French, I am going to try and shed some light on all this. As you're aware, the Franch government has recentely decided to install front facing speed cameras which can be "detected" since they are supposed to be positionned at accident blackspots ... It's the same loophole as in the UK I believe. That's why it's OK to have them programmed on you GPS.
However, regarding mobile speed cameras and laser guns, you can't be in possession of a detection device because it is illegal. Or is it ? Last year a man got off the hefty fine and jail sentence by proving in court that if a speed gun is used, that's because this particular area is deemed dangerous and that he was entitled to be made aware of that via his detector (bought in the UK by the way). I am sure none of you PHers would like to spend 6 month in France waiting for a court judgement.
My advice regarding mobile speed cam is to update your Tom Tom regurlarly on specific websites were you can download all the fixed cameras but also the probable spots where the Gendarmes like to wait for you. I've actually been to Reims this week end and on the way back 2 of the 3 laser gun I've seen were displayed before I got to them. The third one was indicated by a truck driver flashing his lights on the other side of the motorway - this is common in France, so do not hesitate to do it.
Hope this help.
JB
Being French, I am going to try and shed some light on all this. As you're aware, the Franch government has recentely decided to install front facing speed cameras which can be "detected" since they are supposed to be positionned at accident blackspots
... It's the same loophole as in the UK I believe. That's why it's OK to have them programmed on you GPS. However, regarding mobile speed cameras and laser guns, you can't be in possession of a detection device because it is illegal. Or is it ? Last year a man got off the hefty fine and jail sentence by proving in court that if a speed gun is used, that's because this particular area is deemed dangerous and that he was entitled to be made aware of that via his detector (bought in the UK by the way). I am sure none of you PHers would like to spend 6 month in France waiting for a court judgement.
My advice regarding mobile speed cam is to update your Tom Tom regurlarly on specific websites were you can download all the fixed cameras but also the probable spots where the Gendarmes like to wait for you. I've actually been to Reims this week end and on the way back 2 of the 3 laser gun I've seen were displayed before I got to them. The third one was indicated by a truck driver flashing his lights on the other side of the motorway - this is common in France, so do not hesitate to do it.
Hope this help.
JB
JB Newbie said:
Bonjour,
Being French, I am going to try and shed some light on all this. As you're aware, the Franch government has recentely decided to install front facing speed cameras which can be "detected" since they are supposed to be positionned at accident blackspots
However, regarding mobile speed cameras and laser guns, you can't be in possession of a detection device because it is illegal. Or is it ? Last year a man got off the hefty fine and jail sentence by proving in court that if a speed gun is used, that's because this particular area is deemed dangerous and that he was entitled to be made aware of that via his detector (bought in the UK by the way). I am sure none of you PHers would like to spend 6 month in France waiting for a court judgement.
My advice regarding mobile speed cam is to update your Tom Tom regurlarly on specific websites were you can download all the fixed cameras but also the probable spots where the Gendarmes like to wait for you. I've actually been to Reims this week end and on the way back 2 of the 3 laser gun I've seen were displayed before I got to them. The third one was indicated by a truck driver flashing his lights on the other side of the motorway - this is common in France, so do not hesitate to do it.
Hope this help.
JB
Bonjour JB, in the UK last year the police actually prosecuted a lorry driver who signalled to motorists going the other way the presence of a speed camera. Here's a link to the ruling. Thank goodness common sense prevailed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/so
mondeohdear said:
Bonjour,
Being French, I am going to try and shed some light on all this. As you're aware, the Franch government has recentely decided to install front facing speed cameras which can be "detected" since they are supposed to be positionned at accident blackspots
However, regarding mobile speed cameras and laser guns, you can't be in possession of a detection device because it is illegal. Or is it ? Last year a man got off the hefty fine and jail sentence by proving in court that if a speed gun is used, that's because this particular area is deemed dangerous and that he was entitled to be made aware of that via his detector (bought in the UK by the way). I am sure none of you PHers would like to spend 6 month in France waiting for a court judgement.
My advice regarding mobile speed cam is to update your Tom Tom regurlarly on specific websites were you can download all the fixed cameras but also the probable spots where the Gendarmes like to wait for you. I've actually been to Reims this week end and on the way back 2 of the 3 laser gun I've seen were displayed before I got to them. The third one was indicated by a truck driver flashing his lights on the other side of the motorway - this is common in France, so do not hesitate to do it.
Hope this help.
JB
Bonjour JB, in the UK last year the police actually prosecuted a lorry driver who signalled to motorists going the other way the presence of a speed camera. Here's a link to the ruling. Thank goodness common sense prevailed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/so
As has been pointed out before. That ruling didn't indicate that it was lawful for him to warn other with a headlamp flash, it only ruled that Police didn't produce sufficient evidence for the case to succeed. Had they, he would have been convicted, with the act & his intention amounting to an obstruction.
vonhosen said:To be specific, vh, were they not required to produce evidence that:
As has been pointed out before. That ruling didn't indicate that it was lawful for him to warn other with a headlamp flash, it only ruled that Police didn't produce sufficient evidence for the case to succeed. Had they, he would have been convicted, with the act & his intention amounting to an obstruction.
first, the driver who was warned had in fact been speeding, and that,
second, the driver who flashed his lights knew that the other driver was speeding and therefore to warn him would be to assist him in evading justice?
A fairly high pair of hurdles to get over for the sake of what would normally be a trivial result.
flemke said:
As has been pointed out before. That ruling didn't indicate that it was lawful for him to warn other with a headlamp flash, it only ruled that Police didn't produce sufficient evidence for the case to succeed. Had they, he would have been convicted, with the act & his intention amounting to an obstruction.
first, the driver who was warned had in fact been speeding, and that,
second, the driver who flashed his lights knew that the other driver was speeding and therefore to warn him would be to assist him in evading justice?
A fairly high pair of hurdles to get over for the sake of what would normally be a trivial result.
The only thing lacking in the case in question was that there was no evidence of a speeding offence being committed or likely to be committed.
In the case in question what was missing was primary evidence of speeding (one officer's opinion that someone was speeding).
That is the only hurdle & now that is known, it's not a particularly high one really.
vonhosen said:In theory, no.
The only thing lacking in the case in question was that there was no evidence of a speeding offence being committed or likely to be committed.
In the case in question what was missing was primary evidence of speeding (one officer's opinion that someone was speeding).
That is the only hurdle & now that is known, it's not a particularly high one really.
In practice, the driver giving the warning is usually doing so at least a bit beyond the point of measurement, and often a mile or more beyond it. Normally the police who are doing the measuring will not be in a position to note either the warning itself, or the speed of the driver being warned (unless, of course, the police devote additional resources to setting up speed-trap-warning traps. Now that we have new cameras for the sole purpose of complementing speed measurement cameras by photographing drivers' faces, who knows what may be next?)
With respect to the other criterion, are you sure that the court did not rule that the CPS also would need to prove that, in order to have been guilty of obstructing the police, the warning driver must have himself believed that the oncoming car was speeding?
I know that that concept was published at the time, although I suppose that it may have been mistaken.
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