French confiscation laws
Discussion
Been trying for a while to understand the French confiscation laws online but I'm still not sure. What do you have to "do" to get your car confiscated for speeding, in the sense of it actually being taken away (as opposed to getting it back from the compound with another person potentially)?.
I understand that 50km/h over the limit seems to be the magic number for speeding to suddenly be serious, but suppose you do 250km/h when safe - what actually happens?
Also from another site "Driving on the left when not on a dual carriageway" is an offence apparently? Does this mean I can't use both sides of the road when road markings would make doing so legal in the UK?
I'm in France atm so this is relevant
I understand that 50km/h over the limit seems to be the magic number for speeding to suddenly be serious, but suppose you do 250km/h when safe - what actually happens?
Also from another site "Driving on the left when not on a dual carriageway" is an offence apparently? Does this mean I can't use both sides of the road when road markings would make doing so legal in the UK?
I'm in France atm so this is relevant
Edited by Somewhatfoolish on Saturday 24th June 01:54
http://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/connaitre-les...
You really do not want to go down this route. Speed traps are often in 90 zones so 140kph is easily done, some old N roads, dual carriageways drop to 90with little notice.
You really do not want to go down this route. Speed traps are often in 90 zones so 140kph is easily done, some old N roads, dual carriageways drop to 90with little notice.
leyorkie said:
http://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/connaitre-les...
You really do not want to go down this route. Speed traps are often in 90 zones so 140kph is easily done, some old N roads, dual carriageways drop to 90with little notice.
I'm even more confused tbh - there's compulsory confiscation, confiscation, and immobilisation? And sometimes for only 40 km/h over? When it's not compulsory, who decides? Is the car taken away before a judge decides its ultimate fate or something?You really do not want to go down this route. Speed traps are often in 90 zones so 140kph is easily done, some old N roads, dual carriageways drop to 90with little notice.
Edited by Somewhatfoolish on Saturday 24th June 19:09
k would you want to do 150mph in France? Knowing you'll get reamed and your car seized...
Poshbury said:
You can't overtake if there is a solid white line down the middle of the road, except for very slow moving traffic, like tractors, assuming it is safe to do so.
Sometimes having your car taken off you depends on the mood of the Flicks.
Plus your attitude and how much French you speak.Sometimes having your car taken off you depends on the mood of the Flicks.
Cliftonite said:
lucido grigio said:
Why do you want to drive on the wrong side of the road ?
I'm sure overtaking is permitted in France if road markings allow it.
Straightlining well-sighted S-bends, perhaps? Not legal in France?I'm sure overtaking is permitted in France if road markings allow it.
The situation I was finding it most of a nuisance since I found out about that restriction (if I understood it correctly, which still isn't clear?) was when passing parked cars. Having to stay in my own lane, often unable even to leave a car door width, and in a right hand drive car often with very little visibility, is both slower and more dangerous.
Getting back to the confiscation topic, I'm still not clear on the permanence of the confiscation and who decides that, and the actual rules about that speed. So many contradictions everywhere.
I was unfortunate enough to be caught for Grand Vitesse once.
The choices given to me at that time was
1) There was no way I was driving my car away from the place where I was stopped. (confiscation?)
2) If I called a cab or took public transport to get home they would immobilise the car on the roadside to prevent theft (Immobilisation?)
3) It was a remote place so normally hey would tow the car to a pound but that was not an available option (confiscation?)
4) I called the Mrs who got a lift with a friend to come and get me and drive the car home, One of the quietest car rides I have ever had.
So basically you will not be allowed to drive the car away but it does not mean they will take the car off you if you can make alternative arrangements
The choices given to me at that time was
1) There was no way I was driving my car away from the place where I was stopped. (confiscation?)
2) If I called a cab or took public transport to get home they would immobilise the car on the roadside to prevent theft (Immobilisation?)
3) It was a remote place so normally hey would tow the car to a pound but that was not an available option (confiscation?)
4) I called the Mrs who got a lift with a friend to come and get me and drive the car home, One of the quietest car rides I have ever had.
So basically you will not be allowed to drive the car away but it does not mean they will take the car off you if you can make alternative arrangements
It was a dual carriageway at 11:30 at night, not a soul to be seen anywhere. I was doing a steady 110 ish the problem was that the road went over a couple of bridges and I did not slow down as I could see for miles but the limit had dropped to 70. The police were a kilometre further up the road. 600 Euros I lost my license for 3 months and had a court appearance. Also had to change to a French license. If you live in france and get done for an offence with points they will make you change your license.
Abbott said:
It was a dual carriageway at 11:30 at night, not a soul to be seen anywhere. I was doing a steady 110 ish the problem was that the road went over a couple of bridges and I did not slow down as I could see for miles but the limit had dropped to 70. The police were a kilometre further up the road. 600 Euros I lost my license for 3 months and had a court appearance. Also had to change to a French license. If you live in france and get done for an offence with points they will make you change your license.
You were doing 110 kph and the limit dropped to 70kph and you lost your licence for 3 months??!Abbott said:
It was a dual carriageway at 11:30 at night, not a soul to be seen anywhere. I was doing a steady 110 ish the problem was that the road went over a couple of bridges and I did not slow down as I could see for miles but the limit had dropped to 70. The police were a kilometre further up the road. 600 Euros I lost my license for 3 months and had a court appearance. Also had to change to a French license. If you live in france and get done for an offence with points they will make you change your license.
Car conviscation and making foreigners change their licence!They French can do as the please if brits decided to treat other eu citizens like this there would uproar.
It's really not worth speeding anymore in France , I've said before , my French neighbours and friends regard the gendarmes as tax collectors these days .
It's very frustrating driving down an empty motorway barring one car that's daring to do 1 kmh faster than you on cruise ! I'm sure more an a few can sympathise with this ?
I think it's more confiscating your licence than the car , it's illegal to drive if not carrying your licence , hence if they take your licence you can't drive legally so the car gets impounded if you can't get another driver who can present a driving license, I got done in Spain at Malaga airport and ended up with a 2 hour round trip in a taxi as I couldn't present a driving license and neither could my friends who I'd picked up at the airport .
It's very frustrating driving down an empty motorway barring one car that's daring to do 1 kmh faster than you on cruise ! I'm sure more an a few can sympathise with this ?
I think it's more confiscating your licence than the car , it's illegal to drive if not carrying your licence , hence if they take your licence you can't drive legally so the car gets impounded if you can't get another driver who can present a driving license, I got done in Spain at Malaga airport and ended up with a 2 hour round trip in a taxi as I couldn't present a driving license and neither could my friends who I'd picked up at the airport .
The 110 was after correction etc so for sure going a bit faster than that.
My collar was at an unfortunate timing. The previous week Chirac had made a speech at a Pompiers state funeral saying that the sppeding culture in France had to stop. A number of fireman had been killed attending a RTA when a speeding motorist hit them knocking some of them over a barier and into the river.
After that there was massive investment and increase in mobile speed traps.
My collar was at an unfortunate timing. The previous week Chirac had made a speech at a Pompiers state funeral saying that the sppeding culture in France had to stop. A number of fireman had been killed attending a RTA when a speeding motorist hit them knocking some of them over a barier and into the river.
After that there was massive investment and increase in mobile speed traps.
Poshbury said:
You can't overtake if there is a solid white line down the middle of the road, except for very slow moving traffic, like tractors, assuming it is safe to do so.
Sometimes having your car taken off you depends on the mood of the Flicks.
Be aware that they have an odd habit of putting a solid white line on a road with entrances/driveways along it, and for each of those they will break the solid white line on the crown of the road.Sometimes having your car taken off you depends on the mood of the Flicks.
I learned this when i overtook Gasbard in his rusty old Trafic, who was doing 15kph in a 90kph zone that had houses on it (wide nsl country lane through a village with no entry/exit signs, not a 50kph). No coppers but every car that had been behind me took that as carte blanche to also overtake Gasbard, then me, whilst angrily honking and shouting.
No surprises, they're an excitable bunch, but their road designers need a good kicking.
I got fined 90 euros last year in Brittany for slowing down to a crawl not an absolute stop at a STOP sign. They were waiting about 100m down the road to catch people out.
Apparently this is a common revenue gathering exercise in France and it's not worth arguing with them as once they've pulled you over you're going to pay the fine no matter what.
Apparently this is a common revenue gathering exercise in France and it's not worth arguing with them as once they've pulled you over you're going to pay the fine no matter what.
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