Discussion
Is it illegal to take a GPS based device like my Origin B2 that only has a UK database?
There is a nice little iPhone app called Avertinoo (needs roaming data access though) that relies on other users in France to update on the fly where traps are. It also tells you if you are following other users ahead of you and they alert if the coast is clear. If you're the guy in front then it tells you this too, it's pretty cool, I wish we had the app well used in the UK too.
There is a nice little iPhone app called Avertinoo (needs roaming data access though) that relies on other users in France to update on the fly where traps are. It also tells you if you are following other users ahead of you and they alert if the coast is clear. If you're the guy in front then it tells you this too, it's pretty cool, I wish we had the app well used in the UK too.
RobbyJ said:
Is it illegal to take a GPS based device like my Origin B2 that only has a UK database?
If in doubt, don't. Or put it out of the way when you're in France. I think you'll get away with a satnav which happens to have speed camera sites marked (I think my TomTom Live also has live updates and the ability to flag temporary sites on the go.In my experience the other very valuable speed camera location device is the French motorist - they're quite good at flashing you to warn you of traps, even if your car does have British plates
RobbyJ said:
Is it illegal to take a GPS based device like my Origin B2 that only has a UK database?
There is a nice little iPhone app called Avertinoo (needs roaming data access though) that relies on other users in France to update on the fly where traps are. It also tells you if you are following other users ahead of you and they alert if the coast is clear. If you're the guy in front then it tells you this too, it's pretty cool, I wish we had the app well used in the UK too.
As far as I know Data bassed devices are legal, there for showing known possitionsThere is a nice little iPhone app called Avertinoo (needs roaming data access though) that relies on other users in France to update on the fly where traps are. It also tells you if you are following other users ahead of you and they alert if the coast is clear. If you're the guy in front then it tells you this too, it's pretty cool, I wish we had the app well used in the UK too.
The type that are illegal are the type that Detect where a site is, via radar etc
DS240 said:
I have heard a tale of such device being placed under the wheel of the gendarmes vehicle, driven over and the owner told to pick up the pieces!
They are tough... you should see what they used to do to our mates' scooters when they found they had a big bore kit (70cc or more) fitted, no trial, not even a fine.... haaaa back in the days.
Through the engine. Go explain this one to your parents
About 10 years me and a group of mates were on a trip back from the south of France. We were stopped at a services and when we came back there were two John Dom's inspecting our cars (we had left our radar detector brackets on our wind screens). We were in no rush so we all sat down at a table about 100 meters away and watched them get bored. About 10 mins later they just walked straight over to us and asked if they were our cars. We admitted they were and they asked to search them so we gave them the detectors they were looking for. We were pleading ignorance in broken French not letting on one of our mates was French and that we didn’t know they were illegal. I had the entire kitty of cash in my wallet for petrol and tolls and as we were all spent up after the trip it was pretty much all the cash we had. When I heard one of the Police say to a mate they wanted to fine us about £1000 each and destroy the detectors I hid the cash in my car. We all pleaded poverty (they went through all our wallets) and we were very polite and they let us go with a warning, but took the detectors for destruction. My French mate actually said the officers were taking to each other saying they felt sorry for us and didn’t think we genuinely had enough money to get home lol! It sounds a bit dodgy on their part but it was all very official with a tonne of paper work and sealed evidence bags for each detector. Overall though with a little slight of hand and being polite we got off very lightly. In addition my detector saved my neck on the way down when I was doing about 140mph behind some bikes, the radar alert went off, I hit the brakes and they all roared past the trap and then they all got collared at the next toll. All in all probably worth losing the detector for. I hasten to add I’m much older and wiser now!
The Leaper said:
If there is a speed camera sign by the road you're on then French law requires there to be a fully operating fixed camera shortly afterwards, so believe the sign! Non fixed cameras that do not need to have any forwarnings are all over the place so beware of these.
R.
There are variations on the sign now which point out that there might be a mobile trap ahead rather than just a fixed camera. Also, the distance from the sign to camera can be up to 2km, although it seems the new rules will mean no signs.R.
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