Speeding in France - Points on UK License?

[Neilsfirst]

Chicken Chaser said:

I've been in France the last 2 weeks and think I have been flashed twice by static cams, definitely once by about 5kmh. Will have to see whether they fine for all breaches of if it's just high excess speed.

Don't hold your breath on that one. We are residents so may be easier to fine us, but my wife got done for 51km/h in a 50. They dropped 5km/h from her supposed 56km/h she was pinged at.
Yesterday we went past the same camera with her sitting at below the limit and then increased her speed to be captured by the camera on our side of the road that she didn't see. That will be another 90€ fine coming for her! No points on licence though as e are still on British ones.

[Dog Star]

The camera situation in France is getting a bit out of hand IMO - I know that they have the signs up but even so there are so many and often in some very obscure rural areas (I've just come back from a motorbike trip to Biarritz and it was almost all done on the twistiest non-trunk roads we could find.)

Some of the places I saw cameras hidden were insane - those new tall thin black ones hidden behind bridge pillars for example.

ETA: here's one of my particular favourites
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@48.1807905,1.374850...

I cannot see how there's much risk of an accident happening there - although someone has clearly hit the barrier. It'd be ironic if it was because they'd hit the brakes too hard on seeing that camera.

They also have a very low threshold too - I reckon that if I was in a French registered car with a French licence that I'd lose it within a month - I'm not some mental speeder (never had a single point in the UK since I got my licence in July 84) but over there it really is hard work.

Edited by Dog Star on Monday 3rd July 10:23

[320psi]

Thanks for all the comments
I will wait and see what arrives
just as long as the guillotine crew don't drag me off
really poor signage for road speed limits here.
I drive 500kmh yesterday
wide open roads,no one on them.
Road surfaces you could play snooker on.
Perfect
so much better than the state of the uk roads and traffic
Snag is for me it was late, I was tired, crusing along at 90kmh all the way I come close to montmorillon begin to take my foot off, and didn't slow enough.
No signs pitch, black road,
flash
hey Ho
Thanks anyway all

[320psi]

jcosh said:

320psi said:

Hi
uk resident over here in france for a week
just been flashed by a speed camera (nr poitiers)
70kmh in a 50kmh in a hire car
What can I expect ?

I've heard nothing as yet. Nearly six weeks on. But my speed was only just over the limit. Yours is a little higher so expect a fixed €90 fine but nothing more than that.

Thanks

[Riley Blue]

Dog Star said:

Some of the places I saw cameras hidden were insane - those new tall thin black ones hidden behind bridge pillars for example.

ETA: here's one of my particular favourites
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@48.1807905,1.374850...

I cannot see how there's much risk of an accident happening there - although someone has clearly hit the barrier. It'd be ironic if it was because they'd hit the brakes too hard on seeing that camera.

Edited by Dog Star on Monday 3rd July 10:23

That's really sneaky, especially as there's an increase to 90 kmph just before the bridge so it's where you're most likely to be accelerating. I wondered whether there's a warning sign and there is, but it's a long way back, before the red/grey building - and my friends who live in France think it's such a wonderful place to drive compared with the UK...

[Amateurish]

320psi said:

Thanks for all the comments
I will wait and see what arrives
just as long as the guillotine crew don't drag me off
really poor signage for road speed limits here.
I drive 500kmh yesterday
wide open roads,no one on them.
Road surfaces you could play snooker on.
Perfect
so much better than the state of the uk roads and traffic
Snag is for me it was late, I was tired, crusing along at 90kmh all the way I come close to montmorillon begin to take my foot off, and didn't slow enough.
No signs pitch, black road,
flash
hey Ho
Thanks anyway all

They don't normally have 50 limit signs in villages and towns. When you see this kind of sign - it's a 50 limit.

[Amateurish]

Neilsfirst said:

Don't hold your breath on that one. We are residents so may be easier to fine us, but my wife got done for 51km/h in a 50. They dropped 5km/h from her supposed 56km/h she was pinged at.
Yesterday we went past the same camera with her sitting at below the limit and then increased her speed to be captured by the camera on our side of the road that she didn't see. That will be another 90€ fine coming for her! No points on licence though as e are still on British ones.

Got to be careful, they can make you change to French licences if they catch you speeding.

[TooMany2cvs]

Amateurish said:

They don't normally have 50 limit signs in villages and towns. When you see this kind of sign - it's a 50 limit.

And the crossed-out version is the "NSL".

[320psi]

Hi to all who answered my question back in early July.
Just thought I would update you all.
The hire company charged me €12 for administration.
that came through in the post within 3 days of being home.
I've just today received an email from the French authorities taking me directly to a 'was it you driving' section
then once I had admitted guilt it then took me to the payments section
€45
so not too bad
Thanks again all

[320psi]

TooMany2cvs said:

And the crossed-out version is the "NSL".

That's the very place I was flashed !
what a coincidence !

[EU_Foreigner]

320psi said:

Hi to all who answered my question back in early July.
Just thought I would update you all.
The hire company charged me €12 for administration.
that came through in the post within 3 days of being home.
I've just today received an email from the French authorities taking me directly to a 'was it you driving' section
then once I had admitted guilt it then took me to the payments section
€45
so not too bad
Thanks again all

70 in a 50 - bargain price. Not worth slowing down for

[Amateurish]

320psi said:

That's the very place I was flashed !
what a coincidence !

Yes, what a coincidence. Or maybe I just read your post?

[Freddie44]

Interesting reading. Whats the latest info now on 23.04.2018? Can the French authorities issue 3 points on my UK driving licence whilst I drive my own car in France? (not a hire car)

[TooMany2cvs]

Freddie44 said:

Can the French authorities issue 3 points on my UK driving licence whilst I drive my own car in France?

No.

Can they issue a fine? Yes.

[NDA]

Do apps like 'Waze' pick up the camera locations in France?

I know the French regard radar detectors in the same way we regard Jimmy Saville, but am unsure about apps.

[Zod]

NDA said:

Do apps like 'Waze' pick up the camera locations in France?

I know the French regard radar detectors in the same way we regard Jimmy Saville, but am unsure about apps.

In most of France, Waze tells you that you are entering a monitoring zone. In most cases, some helpful French Wazer will have marked the camera with a Police sign.

[rxe]

When I was there last year, Waze worked fine, and after reporting a motorway mobile traffic van, I got a huge number of people "thanking" me, so everyone is clearly using it. It reported all the cameras accurately as well.

[MXRod]

I was flashed twice on the drive from Calais to the Dordogne, strange thing is I was towing a caravan , and was well within the posted limit .
Interested to see what they try to accuse me of .
I have been a bit OCD about speed limits in France , and at present rely on 2 sat navs , the OEM one in the car , and good old Tom Tom .
Neither has the new reduced speed limits saved though .

Edited by MXRod on Wednesday 18th July 13:33

[randlemarcus]

MXRod said:

I was flashed twice on the drive from Calais to the Dordogne, strange thing is I was towing a caravan , and was well within the posted limit .
Interested to see what they try to accuse me of

Driving while British

The 80 limit is a PITA.

[Poshbury]

MXRod said:

I was flashed twice on the drive from Calais to the Dordogne, strange thing is I was towing a caravan , and was well within the posted limit .
Interested to see what they try to accuse me of .
I have been a bit OCD about speed limits in France , and at present rely on 2 sat navs , the OEM one in the car , and good old Tom Tom .
Neither has the new reduced speed limits saved though .

Edited by MXRod on Wednesday 18th July 13:33

Just for info'. There are some stretches of road, usually twisty bits or downhill, where the limit for trucks and vehicles towing caravans is lower.
I very much doubt you will hear anything.
Enjoy the trip.