SPEEDING IN FRANCE - CHANGE OF RULES
Discussion
Hi all
Just got the heads-up from a friend that in France the law has recently changed regarding confiscation of cars for speeders 50kph over the limit!
Apparently it used to be that magistrate "Could" confiscate your car if you were more than 50kph over, but now the magistrate has to justify reasons for NOT confiscating the car.
This appears to put much more emphasis on the defendant to convince the magistrate your life will somehow end if he takes your car!
My feeling is that enthusiastic Brits on their way to Le Mans will be an easy target.
If confiscated your only recourse is to buy the car back at auction.
Take it Easy Lads-n-Lasses!
Just got the heads-up from a friend that in France the law has recently changed regarding confiscation of cars for speeders 50kph over the limit!
Apparently it used to be that magistrate "Could" confiscate your car if you were more than 50kph over, but now the magistrate has to justify reasons for NOT confiscating the car.
This appears to put much more emphasis on the defendant to convince the magistrate your life will somehow end if he takes your car!
My feeling is that enthusiastic Brits on their way to Le Mans will be an easy target.
If confiscated your only recourse is to buy the car back at auction.
Take it Easy Lads-n-Lasses!
Press are going crazy now over these new laws. This is how I understand things...
i) You could never have a scanner, or jammer. You'd be heavily fined and vehicle impounded. So in theory you could buy a Road Angle from Halfords, and if you were found to have it working in France, get yourself in lots of trouble. This is more or less common knowledge.
ii) Them alert systems that make a noise when you approach a place of a fixed speed camera, or those that have live update from road users, such as Coyote, are outlawed (old versions without software update). That is to say you have to have them re-progarmmed. If French plod see one in your vehicle they can take it away. Max fine is at 1500€, but they'd never fine you that much I feel.
iii) If you have your Tom Tom or other sat nav working, and have it on in the car working as a navigational device, but also have fix speed cameras warnings built in, they can't actually do you unless they have evidence that it is warning you of these speed cameras. They don't have the permission to check your device to see if it alerts you of speed cameras. They would have to see it working, to arrest you and confiscate the device.
iv) Again with Coyote, you don't have to have a static device version, you can get Coyote apps for your i-phone and Blackberry. The Police don't have the right to ask you to show it working to verify you are using Coyote speed camera warning. You can say you are using your Sat Nav on the phone and that's that. Again with a software update you are okay
v) Back to Coyote and more on this software update. They have made a fuss, and looked at the law. Normal I guess, they risk to lose a lot of money. They have reprogrammed their system. Now it would say Traffic incident, not speed camera. This means in theory everyone using it, will still click on the button reporting a mobile speed trap, yet this message will be given out on the screen and to others in the Coyote community as a traffic incident. People in the community will obviously consider it perhaps more than a traffic accident or jam, but really being that plod are up ahead. So if you get stopped with one of these you simply show the unit has updated software, and plod should leave you alone.
Any new fix speed camera now doesn't have a warning sign, just a device showing the speed you were doing. This means to say soon after there will be a speed camera, so pay attention.
If you get stopped because you have been on the phone, now it's 135€, from being before at 35€.
So final word the media have made a big thing to worry people. I don't use my Coyote anymore, because it wasn't much cop on minor roads. I do use my Tom Tom. I haven't bothered to do a new update, just incase all the fix speed cameras get deleted (French government forcing Tom Tom to do so).
That's it. Best keep your eyes open...
i) You could never have a scanner, or jammer. You'd be heavily fined and vehicle impounded. So in theory you could buy a Road Angle from Halfords, and if you were found to have it working in France, get yourself in lots of trouble. This is more or less common knowledge.
ii) Them alert systems that make a noise when you approach a place of a fixed speed camera, or those that have live update from road users, such as Coyote, are outlawed (old versions without software update). That is to say you have to have them re-progarmmed. If French plod see one in your vehicle they can take it away. Max fine is at 1500€, but they'd never fine you that much I feel.
iii) If you have your Tom Tom or other sat nav working, and have it on in the car working as a navigational device, but also have fix speed cameras warnings built in, they can't actually do you unless they have evidence that it is warning you of these speed cameras. They don't have the permission to check your device to see if it alerts you of speed cameras. They would have to see it working, to arrest you and confiscate the device.
iv) Again with Coyote, you don't have to have a static device version, you can get Coyote apps for your i-phone and Blackberry. The Police don't have the right to ask you to show it working to verify you are using Coyote speed camera warning. You can say you are using your Sat Nav on the phone and that's that. Again with a software update you are okay
v) Back to Coyote and more on this software update. They have made a fuss, and looked at the law. Normal I guess, they risk to lose a lot of money. They have reprogrammed their system. Now it would say Traffic incident, not speed camera. This means in theory everyone using it, will still click on the button reporting a mobile speed trap, yet this message will be given out on the screen and to others in the Coyote community as a traffic incident. People in the community will obviously consider it perhaps more than a traffic accident or jam, but really being that plod are up ahead. So if you get stopped with one of these you simply show the unit has updated software, and plod should leave you alone.
Any new fix speed camera now doesn't have a warning sign, just a device showing the speed you were doing. This means to say soon after there will be a speed camera, so pay attention.
If you get stopped because you have been on the phone, now it's 135€, from being before at 35€.
So final word the media have made a big thing to worry people. I don't use my Coyote anymore, because it wasn't much cop on minor roads. I do use my Tom Tom. I haven't bothered to do a new update, just incase all the fix speed cameras get deleted (French government forcing Tom Tom to do so).
That's it. Best keep your eyes open...
Edited by eddie man on Thursday 5th January 15:58
Sign up with PocketGPSWorld.com and you can download their speed camera database for your sat nav which includes all the French ones.
Anyway with the fixed French cameras you have to be going stupidly fast to be unable to slow down between the warning sign that precedes every camera and the camera itself.
And accept the fact that somebody let on to the French police about the little race at Le Mans and a few Brits who might be attending! They know we are coming!
Anyway with the fixed French cameras you have to be going stupidly fast to be unable to slow down between the warning sign that precedes every camera and the camera itself.
And accept the fact that somebody let on to the French police about the little race at Le Mans and a few Brits who might be attending! They know we are coming!
Downloading speed camera sites is the OPPOSITE of what you need to do: the new law means that any satnav or other equipment indicating cameras will be confiscated, and there will be a heavy fine too. Of course, if you're more than 50km over the limit you are likely to lose your car for good anyway.
The same applies to built in satnav, although I presume that your car will not be confiscated too, but you never know with the French.
R.
The same applies to built in satnav, although I presume that your car will not be confiscated too, but you never know with the French.
R.
As Eddie mentioned in his third point, the police have to see you using the sat nav and beIng warned. They don't have the power to seize the device unless you have been apprehended and it is going to be used as evidence. It is a law that is pretty much unenforceable, but the sat nav companies have to go along with it. So sign up and download the database for yourself.
Anyway, that is pretty much beside the point. The police actually have to stop you first. I have been going to Le Mans for years in a variety of vehicles at a variety of speeds and have NEVER been stopped by the police.
IMO anybody who speeds on the AutoRoute on Le Mans weekend is pretty stupid and deserves everything they get. Personally I avoid the AutoRoute that weekend and stick to the A roads - much more fun to drive.
Anyway, that is pretty much beside the point. The police actually have to stop you first. I have been going to Le Mans for years in a variety of vehicles at a variety of speeds and have NEVER been stopped by the police.
IMO anybody who speeds on the AutoRoute on Le Mans weekend is pretty stupid and deserves everything they get. Personally I avoid the AutoRoute that weekend and stick to the A roads - much more fun to drive.
GDEvans said:
Anyway, that is pretty much beside the point. The police actually have to stop you first. I have been going to Le Mans for years in a variety of vehicles at a variety of speeds and have NEVER been stopped by the police.
IMO anybody who speeds on the AutoRoute on Le Mans weekend is pretty stupid and deserves everything they get. Personally I avoid the AutoRoute that weekend and stick to the A roads - much more fun to drive.
Like you I have been going for years (20 I think) in a variety of vehicles at a variety of speeds but I've been caught speeding twice! In 2003 on the way home on the Sunday outside Bernay, they got 3 of us in one go, we all got banned on the spot! Lucky I had my friend who could carry on driving who then got nicked outside Rouen, but lucky for us he only got a fine! Then I got nicked last year 90 Euro fine On the Friday morning on A road about 200 Kms North of Le mans (they were hiding in a dip, so I couldn't see them as I went over the crest) Yet at dinner Thursday night all I been saying was "we can't speed this year, will get nicked!" IMO anybody who speeds on the AutoRoute on Le Mans weekend is pretty stupid and deserves everything they get. Personally I avoid the AutoRoute that weekend and stick to the A roads - much more fun to drive.
So the moral is NO SPEEDING
Inverness said:
GDEvans said:
Anyway, that is pretty much beside the point. The police actually have to stop you first. I have been going to Le Mans for years in a variety of vehicles at a variety of speeds and have NEVER been stopped by the police.
IMO anybody who speeds on the AutoRoute on Le Mans weekend is pretty stupid and deserves everything they get. Personally I avoid the AutoRoute that weekend and stick to the A roads - much more fun to drive.
Like you I have been going for years (20 I think) in a variety of vehicles at a variety of speeds but I've been caught speeding twice! In 2003 on the way home on the Sunday outside Bernay, they got 3 of us in one go, we all got banned on the spot! Lucky I had my friend who could carry on driving who then got nicked outside Rouen, but lucky for us he only got a fine! Then I got nicked last year 90 Euro fine On the Friday morning on A road about 200 Kms North of Le mans (they were hiding in a dip, so I couldn't see them as I went over the crest) Yet at dinner Thursday night all I been saying was "we can't speed this year, will get nicked!" IMO anybody who speeds on the AutoRoute on Le Mans weekend is pretty stupid and deserves everything they get. Personally I avoid the AutoRoute that weekend and stick to the A roads - much more fun to drive.
So the moral is NO SPEEDING
One of our fellow PH'ers has reported he spoke to a Police Captain who succinctly put it - "You don't respect our laws? We don't respect you"!
A few years ago we got chatting to an elderly chap in his 70’s who had been going for many many years.
He had just got stopped at the traffic lights in a little town.
A police bike pulled up alongside him and saw the radar detector on the dash of his Lotus.
They confiscated the equipment and fined him, about £800 in all he said!
He also said it was the last time he would visit Le Mans!
kev b said:
It seems that the French only tolerate Brits whem we are removing the German army for them, at any other time we are not welcome. Fair enough, I will not be visiting France again, I will take my money where I am made welcome.
A very strange xenophobic attitude. I have never felt unwelcome in France. Even by all the gendarmes lining the motorway bridges in welcoming parties. The gendarmes have never bothered me as we don't travel too fast, and make sure the is always somebody a little faster than us!Let's face it, if there was an event in the UK which a lot of French people came to in fast cars, our police would do the same. I don't think it is too much to ask that people respect the laws of the country they are in - if you don't you should expect to face the consequences when caught, and should not expect any sympathy.
Maybe it is better for the rest of us if you don't come to France and upset the locals.
kev b said:
It seems that the French only tolerate Brits whem we are removing the German army for them, at any other time we are not welcome. Fair enough, I will not be visiting France again, I will take my money where I am made welcome.
Let us know when you find a country which welcomes you to break their laws. People seem to miss the point here, French speed limits are much more sensible than British.
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