Calais to Nice via Marseille - Speeding

[vanurdi010310]

HI, I'm driving from Calais to Marseille, then across the south to Nice then back to Calais.

Apart from approaching Calais, what are the speeding hotspots?

What's the likely punishment for going:-

140kph in 130kph
150kph in 130kph
160kph in 130kph

Also my car is PCP so is it worth taking papers showing the manufacturer who still owns the car?

[Wanchaiwarrior]

Have a look at this thread :

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Might just be less stressful to stick to the limits

(130 is pretty good, here in NZ its 100. Speeding tickets at 106)

[cheddar]

Wanchaiwarrior said:

Have a look at this thread :

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Might just be less stressful to stick to the limits

(130 is pretty good, here in NZ its 100. Speeding tickets at 106)

Are we at 106 down from 110 now?

[jesta1865]

cheddar said:

Wanchaiwarrior said:

Have a look at this thread :

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Might just be less stressful to stick to the limits

(130 is pretty good, here in NZ its 100. Speeding tickets at 106)

Are we at 106 down from 110 now?

is that 110 indicated?

I'm still getting to grips with the sensation of the limits, some seem so slow, others feel a bit fast in places.

[Wings]

Some useful information on the following site/link

http://www.day-tripper.net/driving-france-speedcam...

[ThunderSpook]

Having just paid one I can tell you that if the limit is 50kph or above then up to 20kph over is 45 euros.

And there a definitely some cameras on the motorways around Nice hidden behind hedges

[Dog Star]

I don't want to come across all adenoidal, sanctimonious and "a bit blown2CV" but going over with the intention of going 30kmh over the limit is a bit daft these days.

I used to live there and would speed like mad on the motorways. These days it's a mugs game.


40kmh over the limit is an on the spot ban.
the limit drops from 130 to 110 if it's wet

They also deduct a percentage off the recorded amount - I got clocked at 180+, this was "recalculated" to 171. I copped for a ban for, effectively, 1 kmh over the threshold.

Make sure you have with you a passenger who is legally allowed to drive and has full insurance for the car.

Because they knock a few percent off I personally feel "safe" up to an indicated 140, knock some off and you are not going to be looking at much over at all and might not even get stopped.

[NDA]

I haven't driven in France for a few years now - but it's clear they've had a major sense of humour failure about speeding along their empty well surfaced roads. So it's just not worth the risk.

There are a few threads on here about cars and licences being confiscated - a total nightmare. It's also entirely possible that foreign cars are being particularly well spotted too.

Not worth giving it the beans.

[ghe13rte]

The French have an interesting system that is totally covert. A radar equipped unmarked car is fitted with a radar and camera that can detect the speeds of approaching and receding cars as the radar car is simply driven among the traffic.
Unless you have an ANPR system on board that has a complete list of radar cars you will not know you have been near one.

http://www.radars-auto.com/info-radars/modele-rada...

There are hundreds of them being driven around France, integrated with the traffic. They capture the speed and an image of speeding vehicles and they are dealt with after the event. So unless you have Mystic Meg as a passenger chirping up every time she imagines a radar car is passing then planning a trip in defiance of the speed limits is highly likely to net you a surprise in the post.

Maybe the French are not amused. They have banned all forms of speed enforcement detectors including GPS point-of-interest systems integrated with your satnav. I wouldn't be surprised if they considered a list of sites written on a notepad constituted a camera detector. Good luck with the trip but I rather think the French may have you taped.

[S11Steve]

vanurdi010310 said:

HI, I'm driving from Calais to Marseille, then across the south to Nice then back to Calais.

Apart from approaching Calais, what are the speeding hotspots?

What's the likely punishment for going:-

140kph in 130kph
150kph in 130kph
160kph in 130kph

Also my car is PCP so is it worth taking papers showing the manufacturer who still owns the car?

You will need a VE103b document from the finance company.
Without this, there is a higher chance of the vehicle being impounded if there is any doubt around the permission to have the vehicle abroad. It's not a particularly cheap or quick process to get a lease vehicle back from Europe after seizure.

[chopper602]

vanurdi010310 said:

Also my car is PCP so is it worth taking papers showing the manufacturer who still owns the car?

If it's on PCP then you should hold the V5 surely ?

[nickfrog]

NDA said:

I haven't driven in France for a few years now - but it's clear they've had a major sense of humour failure about speeding along their empty well surfaced roads.

I agree. They got tired of picking bits of limbs/brains/guts, including from the well surfaced roads.

Not all of it due to speeding but it was quite a factor up to about 10 years ago. Road mortality was pretty bad, including on the m'way where it shouldn't be.

OP, drive at an indicated 140km/h and you should be OK. But only if that speed is appropriate of course !

[The Dangerous Elk]

Mobile Gatso cars

"In total, there will be 150 vehicles in service on this date including 58 Peugeot 208 , 61 Renault Megane and 31 Citroën Berlingo."

I feel the need for a well-hidden radar detector, cheaper than a fine (to have it confiscated)

[outnumbered]

Just stick your cruise control at 130kph indicated on your GPS and relax. They've made it too expensive / risky to speed in France now.

[feef]

Pretty comprehensive list of offences, points (not relevant to UK licence holders), punishments and fines

https://www.french-property.com/guides/france/driv...

[gazapc]

Waze was very accurate when I was there in May. It flagged 'enforcement zones' so you didn't get the exact location.

[The Dangerous Elk]

Seems more sensible and is what I do on main roads, as I spend most of my time there on country roads (historical research hobby) and around small towns, it is the bikes/parked cars I am more concerned with.

Is it correct to assume that radar detectors get very confused these days with all/many new cars "Anti-Collision" radar emitters ?

[Roger Irrelevant]

I'll be doing Calais to the Spanish border in a few weeks and, as per the other replies to this thread, I'll be sticking the cruise on at an indicated 135kph and leaving it there. Perfectly good trade off between getting somewhere and chomping through fuel IMO - anything more just isn't worth the risk of catching the attention of a grumpy gendarme.

[The Dangerous Elk]

The Resistance has risen




With the "history" of direct contact protest in France, you would have thought they might have thought about better-protected devices.

[ellroy]

On any rural road trip through France you can almost guarantee that you'll pass at least one burned out camera.


The resistance hasn't totally retired it would appear.