Caught in France

[Double Play]

Feeling a little stupid to be honest, but I think this is my first post.

I was on my way from Geneva to Calais alone and in my own car after a few month's work in Switzerland when I happended upon an invisible speed trap whilst doing 181 kph (111 mph) in a Bora. The Gendarmes came out of the woodwork on their bikes and pulled me into a local peage. After informing me of the speed I was doing they banned me for 30 days in France on the spot. They told me if I was caught in France again during this time, it would be jail!

135 Euro fine and license taken off me, but that was not the worst...

As I was on my own, the cops suggested I do one of two things: leave my car and collect in a month er...no!) or get someone else to drive my car up to Calais. The nearest mate was 10 hours away, and so they called a local taxi company who kindly offered (NOT!) to drive my car and me back up for 900 Euro for the 535 km trip to the ferry.

I could not leave the car in France because I was meeting the new girlfriend in Nottingham for a good friend's wedding and did not want to miss the weekend!

So, does anyone have any opinion as to whether the French Autohrities can ban me for this speed, and if they do, why the hell do they not have English Speakers to hand to fully explain the charges?

Call me daft, but there you go. It was a fun weekend though...

[Wacky Racer]

The French Police are a law unto themselves......

Think yourself lucky you weren't carrying a radar detector.......

[Dwight VanDriver]

As this was a 'on the spot' fine the disqualification was not imposed by a Court of Law. It should therefore follow that there may be an appeal system against this. Sorry but not familiar with French Law but was this explored. An appeal generally suspends the 'on the spot' ruling. Also, what advice could be obtained from British Embassy in France?

I know that TTB are working on a European Convention so that driving disqualifications anywhere in EEC will apply to UK and vice versa.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3461931.stm

DVD

[andygo]

Fantastic news DWD

[Deester]

Dwight VanDriver said:

As this was a 'on the spot' fine the disqualification was not imposed by a Court of Law. It should therefore follow that there may be an appeal system against this. Sorry but not familiar with French Law but was this explored. An appeal generally suspends the 'on the spot' ruling. Also, what advice could be obtained from British Embassy in France? I know that TTB are working on a European Convention so that driving disqualifications anywhere in EEC will apply to UK and vice versa. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3461931.stm DVD

A driving disqualification in another EU country already counts, you have little choice if they take your licence.

Or am I wrong?

I got banned in Germany for 1 month and they actually took my UK licence from me.

[Dwight VanDriver]

I have yet to come across any UK law that states a Disqualification in Germany is valid in UK. They make take you Licence, forward details to DVLA but their ban IMHO has no effect in UK.

DVD

[JMGS4]

Technically the laws in various countries in the EU state that you must be physically in possesion of your license while driving (i.e. have it on you!)....if you've not, you're neither insured or allowed to drive.......this is why the french and german police take your license!!! If you drive without it actually with you you could be looking at jail immediately as you've (according to their laws) been driving without a license and insurance, which is an arrestable offense! Oh the joys of totalitarian socialist states!!!

[Streetcop]

Although I admire the French police, especially the CRS...I do wish they would have displayed the same sort of balls during the second World War....

Street

"Q: Why are there so many trees along the pavement on the Champs Elysee?

A: So the German Army can march in the shade"

[forever_driving]

Count yourself lucky

My dad got caught on the way back from Classic Le Mans at 172kmh (103mph) in a 110kmh (69mph) zone.

750Euro fine and banned from driving in France for 3 months.

[WildCat]

Beware in France and SPAIN - since majority go there for jollies and hire cars!

EU in general is tightening up - gendarmes are crawling all over the place - and it is severe :nono; to be copped without seat belt and if they think you have been knocking back clarets, calvados, schaps und so weiter - deservedly big trouble!

Cracking down on speed too Increased their gendarmes by 50% and set up 1000 cams across France too. - Good news is that you are more likely to get nicked by gendarme. Bad news is the "on the spot" fine. Usually, they nab your licence and ban you on the spot too if they think you were OTT and sadly in the case of foreigners - they think you will not surrender your licence for the points (blame the Swiss for that! ). (Um - we do it to them (French only so far)- and at 3mph tolerance across entire speed range - bit more lenient to our own - but only marginally!) Also - they are less sympathetic if you do not speak the language - and tend to be even stroppier as result - which is jolly unfair. Still - even friendly "Bonjour" helps! Or they think you may re-offend eleswhere before you get to the border! If you are Brit - they think the b2 is somewhere in the car - ours is well hidden whenever in France etc And we are not saying where we stash it either! There are various ways to skin a cat you know (and I should know that! )

Guy was travelling from Switzerland - were you in Swiss reg car by any chance - cos that is normal procedure for us wild prissy lot from Switzerland! from the French! French really dislike the Swiss for some reason - something to do with fracas over land in Savoie centuries ago!

They are also manic over bus lanes too - get copped in one and - fine for natives and ban for Swiss! (They have always banned and penalised Swiss wherever we go - that is why we are all trained in the army and country is armed to the teeth - it is to keep those Frogs and Krauts off our gold! )

[nel]

JMGS4 said:

Technically the laws in various countries in the EU state that you must be physically in possesion of your license while driving (i.e. have it on you!)....if you've not, you're neither insured or allowed to drive.......this is why the french and german police take your license!!! If you drive without it actually with you you could be looking at jail immediately as you've (according to their laws) been driving without a license and insurance, which is an arrestable offense! Oh the joys of totalitarian socialist states!!!

Which is why I told DVLC that the dog ate my licence, got a new one and have 2, allowing me to give the spare to the cops if need be.....

Alternatively, the international ones from the AA for a couple of quid would do the trick

[Double Play]

Now there's something my insurance company did not tell me about.

I had no idea I actually HAD to have my license on me at the time. I have picked up some French during my time in Switzerland and attempted some passive French at the time, but the cop that stopped me was arrogant and could not have cared less about me not knowing the language. It was only due to a kind interpreter who had already been caught that I fully understood what was happening. I went from "oh " to very angry in a short space of time, but of course held my temper in check...

In the time I was at the station (which was interestingly very close to a peage by the way and those caught had to pay the toll BEFORE being nicked!!!) there were 23 motorists stopped and it felt like a revolving door cash generator for the French Police.

23! I ask you, what kind of farcical attempt at positive policing is that? Never will I drive again in France. I'm too scared!

[Tonyrec]

And people think its bad here

[WildCat]

Double Play said:

Now there's something my insurance company did not tell me about. I had no idea I actually HAD to have my license on me at the time. I have picked up some French during my time in Switzerland and attempted some passive French at the time, but the cop that stopped me was arrogant and could not have cared less about me not knowing the language. It was only due to a kind interpreter who had already been caught that I fully understood what was happening. I went from "oh " to very angry in a short space of time, but of course held my temper in check... In the time I was at the station (which was interestingly very close to a peage by the way and those caught had to pay the toll BEFORE being nicked!!!) there were 23 motorists stopped and it felt like a revolving door cash generator for the French Police. 23! I ask you, what kind of farcical attempt at positive policing is that? Never will I drive again in France. I'm too scared!

Good job you held your temper - those guys carry guns!

But presumably that Manchester Cop (who should have known better) copped on M6 toll paid his money to drive on there too!

EU is having major crackdown - but fair to say they are targetting other offences besides speeding. Not making it quite same crusade as here.

But back in Switzerland - only allowed 3mph above speed limit - over all speeds from the 20mph limit to the 81.25mph limit on the autoroutes. Look out for wheelies in strange places. Makes refuse day interesting!

Incidentally - EU - you have to have ID on you at all times. Brits here have never had this so suspicious of the ID cards. We grew up with them - so normal to this family!

[ERA]

Hi guys

I'm French and all you say is so right .

French politicians, gendarmes and even people have become completely crazy.

Just follow my piece of advice : avoid highways ("autoroute") and "routes nationales", especially when heavy traffic is expected(week-ends, holidays or special events such as Le Mans).
If you take them, all fixed radars are signed though, but police is having radars on their vehicles (beware French police also use Ford!, some with no police sign on it!)
Also avoid any "peripherique" and speeding within cities or villages.

Just stay on small roads like "departementales" and there you hardly find any gendarme, won't be bothered by trucks (just some farmers tractors), see really great roads with great landscape.
Came all the way to Le Mans Classic from Paris and then left for south of France on departementales, best driving ever and not a gendarme!!!!

Hope you'll still enjoy France, it's always great to see all Brits invading Le Mans with Ultimas, TVRS and Morgans instead of French in Megane, Clio!

So hope to see U soon back on our roads

By the way, on saturday, a bristish event called The Great Chase starts from the Eiffel Tower and goes to Praha. They have an internet site.
Expect to see exotic cars in Paris. Great!

Etienne./..

[Dwight VanDriver]

Era

Ah un homme francais....

Please advise - in UK you can refuse the spot fine and elect trial at a Court should you so desire. Providing you have an address where they can serve a summons then no arrest and matter takes it course through the system allowing a driver to go merrily on his way.

So if Le Flic stop you, must you accept the spot fine/disqualification/siezure of DLicence or can you delay matters by electing trial before a Magistrates, gaining time sufficient to enable one to say, abscond back to UK?

Or if you refuse are you taken before a Magistrate immediately.

An accurate answer may be of interest to certain readers of this Forum.........

Merci beaucoup...

DVD

[james_j]

Etienne - thank you for the advice and information.

>> Edited by james_j on Wednesday 28th July 15:18

[Mr2Mike]

Sounds fammilar. About 5 or 6 years ago I went on a cruise around Europe with a friend in his 2.8i Capri

After spending a few very enjoyable days in Austria, we were heading towards Germany to meet some people. Approximately 5km from the border, travelling at around a ton (keeping pace with the rest of the traffic), my friend comments on the tosser behind us who was driving what looked like a few feet off our bumper. 1/2 mile later the car dropped back far enough for us to see the lights on the roof...

Pulled over and were expecting a good rodgering for the speed we were doing, but to our surprise the copper explained that he was not interested in our speed. However he had pulled us over due to the lack of a motorway tax disk being displayed. He insisted that we would have been told about this at the border as it was recently introduced, but neither of use had seen or heard anything about it. On the spot fine of £100ish IIRC, and he escorted us to an ATM machine to get the money. We then joined a queue of 30-40 people in the same predicament outside a small Bedford Rascal type van, wherein another officer was collecting the fines. Without exception all the people in the queue were foreign to Austria...

[ERA]

Hi again

Thanks for your messages
Dwight, sorry, answering you might take some time so I'll come back later to tou on that topic.

Just a useful internet site with the map of all fixed radars in France :

www.radarsfixes.com/c_carte.asp?carte=F

Here is the index giving localization of new and scheduled radars :
www.radarsfixes.com/index.asp

Some people charge the map on a PDA with GPS localization. This is legal.
But as I told you before, a sign announces all fixed radars in France.

'll try to get back with a proper answer but law in France has changed this year and it's a bit tricky to know what U can and can't do when caught!

See U

Etienne./..

[nel]

As I understand it the French police are a law unto themselves - there was talk a few years ago of trying to curtail their powers using the EU justice system.

The one thing that they do that is, I understand, unique among european coppers is seize the vehicle until the fine is paid. This is the issue that is judged to be illegal but, needless to say, the situation has never been changed. Legalised extortion by government officials.....

I suspect that even the EU justice system couldn't really sort them out anyway, as France is far and away the country with the most EU lawsuits against it for non-application of European law. They're very good at signing on the dotted line and then ignoring the rules that don't really suit them [unlike the bloody stupid British government that immediately sets up a government body verifying the straightness of bananas, etc!].

As for the driving licence confiscation, I have no idea whether they are exceeding their official remit.I can only reiterate the advice to have at least 2 licences, so that you are not inconvienienced once you finally get out of the country.

Best of luck..