Scameras in France
Discussion
Can't find this in the archive, so here goes....
What's the situation as regards speeding in La Belle France? I know they can pull you over and issue on-the-spot fines and remove your licence and suchlike, but do they have automatic scameras that can pass details on to the UK authorities yet, or not?
Essentially, if I decide to drive in France, how careful do I need to be?
Ta. Sorry - I mean thank you.
What's the situation as regards speeding in La Belle France? I know they can pull you over and issue on-the-spot fines and remove your licence and suchlike, but do they have automatic scameras that can pass details on to the UK authorities yet, or not?
Essentially, if I decide to drive in France, how careful do I need to be?
Ta. Sorry - I mean thank you.
So far an offence committed in another EU country cannot have any impact on the points on your UK licence. The UK law as it relates to driving licences is only governed by UK law.
However, to go abroad with the intention of flouting that country's laws may be asking for trouble in that country and foreign police have been known to be quite hard on guests in their country disobeying local laws, so be careful.
In France they can impose quite large fines for speeding and can confiscate your licence, which means someone else has to drive your car back to the UK, or you 'catch the bus home' and send someone to retrieve your car. They can fine you on the spot and confiscate the car if you can't pay. Big fines too- £600 plus. Do you carry that sort of spare cash to avoid confiscation?
On a more positive note, they are not so strict in their enforcement on motorways. The 130 kph limit can be stretched to about 155 to 160 kph, but beyond that be very careful.
I hope that helps.
However, to go abroad with the intention of flouting that country's laws may be asking for trouble in that country and foreign police have been known to be quite hard on guests in their country disobeying local laws, so be careful.
In France they can impose quite large fines for speeding and can confiscate your licence, which means someone else has to drive your car back to the UK, or you 'catch the bus home' and send someone to retrieve your car. They can fine you on the spot and confiscate the car if you can't pay. Big fines too- £600 plus. Do you carry that sort of spare cash to avoid confiscation?
On a more positive note, they are not so strict in their enforcement on motorways. The 130 kph limit can be stretched to about 155 to 160 kph, but beyond that be very careful.
I hope that helps.
I have just returned from a trip to France & Italy and saw a couple of 'laser plods' in France however everyone (me included) seemed to be passing at about 150kph with no problems.
That said I have been done in France (3 yrs ago) - was caught at 201kph & given an on the spot £200 fine but told that they allow +/- 10% on the speed so actual ticketed speed was less, however I understand that the fines are now bigger.
As an aside, in Italy I saw no plod on speed enforcement but noticed that people are driving slower than before they introduced (recently) the points system, although the speed limit on 3 lane m'ways is 150kph and I think that not many people would exceed this if allowed to drive at their chosen speed as most will chose a speed that they are comfortable with.
On my way back through Switzerland I set off a scamera in a tunnel (double red flash in the face)
but can't imagine that any action will be taken.
Keep 'em peeled
That said I have been done in France (3 yrs ago) - was caught at 201kph & given an on the spot £200 fine but told that they allow +/- 10% on the speed so actual ticketed speed was less, however I understand that the fines are now bigger.
As an aside, in Italy I saw no plod on speed enforcement but noticed that people are driving slower than before they introduced (recently) the points system, although the speed limit on 3 lane m'ways is 150kph and I think that not many people would exceed this if allowed to drive at their chosen speed as most will chose a speed that they are comfortable with.
On my way back through Switzerland I set off a scamera in a tunnel (double red flash in the face)
but can't imagine that any action will be taken. Keep 'em peeled
Although other countries do enforce their limits, don't you get the feeling that this country is the only one in which it seems to have become an obsession rather than sensible enforcement tempered with fair judgement?
Or is our beloved government just the first to realise the cash-collection possibilities?
Or is our beloved government just the first to realise the cash-collection possibilities?
The French have also started installing cameras - whether anyone bothers to track you down or not is a different matter though I have heard of it happening. That said,I think you'd really need to be going some to make them bother. There's a website somewhere with the camera locations - someone here may know the address...? Cameras seem to be situated on main roads as opposed to peage routes. On a recent trip from Calais to the Med & back, I think we saw 3 police cars for the duration which ain't bad odds!
G
G
This web site gives a map of the fixed radar units in France, www.radarsfixes.com/index.asp
However, these will almost probably not be a problem for Brits tooling around the big lily pad as I am sure that they won't follow up back to the UK. What you lot have to worry about is the mobile traps or cops on bikes - basically if they physically stop you then all the bits about fines, licence removal, etc. can happen.
Might well be worth picking up an international driving licence at an AA shop for a couple of quid, so that if the worst comes to the worst you don't have to hand over your UK licence. Also, make sure that you have a passenger with you capable of and insured to drive the vehicle, that way you can at least get home. I'd recommend that on the Mway you try and stick to a cruising speed of around 165 kph - that way you won't be more than 30 kph over the limit and the fine will be reasonable.
Best of luck.
However, these will almost probably not be a problem for Brits tooling around the big lily pad as I am sure that they won't follow up back to the UK. What you lot have to worry about is the mobile traps or cops on bikes - basically if they physically stop you then all the bits about fines, licence removal, etc. can happen.
Might well be worth picking up an international driving licence at an AA shop for a couple of quid, so that if the worst comes to the worst you don't have to hand over your UK licence. Also, make sure that you have a passenger with you capable of and insured to drive the vehicle, that way you can at least get home. I'd recommend that on the Mway you try and stick to a cruising speed of around 165 kph - that way you won't be more than 30 kph over the limit and the fine will be reasonable.
Best of luck.
Hi,
try
www.radarsfixes.com/index.asp
or a plug in for Tomtom navigator at
www.radarsfixes.com/P_Gps.asp
try
www.radarsfixes.com/index.asp
or a plug in for Tomtom navigator at
www.radarsfixes.com/P_Gps.asp
These days it's worth getting a duplicate UK licence. Then, if you do get stopped in France you hand over the duplicate and it doesn't matter if you don't ever get it back. Then, if you need to hire a car anywhere you still have a valid UK licence with which to do it. Remember, if you do get caught in this country and send in your licence for a fixed penalty, it can be some time before it returns and during that time you can't hire a car or drive abroad.
I've now got three, all clean (at the moment!). One has a really old address on it, but it's still technically valid, so good to use abroad.
I've now got three, all clean (at the moment!). One has a really old address on it, but it's still technically valid, so good to use abroad.
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