What was the policing like on speeding..?
Discussion
Not over the top for me. I saw 3 traps on the way back up, none on the way down (Thursday morning).
If you stick to 140kmh ish they just won't bother you, but get about 160kmh and they will gladly relieve you of lots of dosh and about about 120mph your license as well.
With the new motorway in place you really don't need to seriously speed to get there quickly anymore.....
J
If you stick to 140kmh ish they just won't bother you, but get about 160kmh and they will gladly relieve you of lots of dosh and about about 120mph your license as well.
With the new motorway in place you really don't need to seriously speed to get there quickly anymore.....
J
daz9100 said:
Not over the top for me.
Non on the N138 on the way down at all - very strange. But 3 on the A28 coming back. Non near Calais either which is unusual.
Non on the N138 on the way down at all - very strange. But 3 on the A28 coming back. Non near Calais either which is unusual.
Ditto that - very few going down on Wed, although on the N28, one of our party who left early Sunday am was relieved of 750 euros for 198kmh just past Rouen. Strangely quiet yesterday from noon to app 5pm on the roads up to Calais and saw not a single gendarme on the A16. Perhaps were taking all of the folk caught to the bank/jail
I'm french (nobody's perfect!) and I've seen a recent report on TV showing that :
- Speed traps (the automatic ones) sometimes miss the whole plate of the car (like when you're passing another car) or just can't read it.
Then it goes to a special office where their job is to track the car, based on what they see of the plate.
And this is where you're lucky, as most of the time (almost 100%) foreign plates go to garbage !
It'd be too costly to track you when they can fine us (the French) so easily !
The only exception I guess might be very high speed.
- Another thing, if you ever get caught and receive a fine at home, with a probability almost equal to none though (based on above) !
First, you have to ask for a picture and pretend that you were not driving. Tell your car was borrowed by whoever (and I think you're not forced to tell any name) and therefore that you want to contest the fine.
Most of the time, they won't charge you at all in the end...
- So, I think the only problem you can face is mobile speed traps, the ones they have on cars (beware : many Fords), or on side of roads, generally well hidden... There, they can stop you and charge you.
My piece of advice : be careful when crossing villages, cities... when passing through a bridge...
The best thing on my mind is avoid highways and nationales and just go through small departementales.
Longer but generally very scenic roads , almost empty and a lot smaller probability to meet police than in Nationale where they're sure to meet some cars speeding...
If they catch you, just get out the car, say 'bonjour' and the 3 words of french you know, be nice, say how sorry you are, that you love France, that you're more used to miles than km/h.... and it could be fine for you or at least reduce your bill !
- Speed traps (the automatic ones) sometimes miss the whole plate of the car (like when you're passing another car) or just can't read it.
Then it goes to a special office where their job is to track the car, based on what they see of the plate.
And this is where you're lucky, as most of the time (almost 100%) foreign plates go to garbage !
It'd be too costly to track you when they can fine us (the French) so easily !
The only exception I guess might be very high speed.
- Another thing, if you ever get caught and receive a fine at home, with a probability almost equal to none though (based on above) !
First, you have to ask for a picture and pretend that you were not driving. Tell your car was borrowed by whoever (and I think you're not forced to tell any name) and therefore that you want to contest the fine.
Most of the time, they won't charge you at all in the end...
- So, I think the only problem you can face is mobile speed traps, the ones they have on cars (beware : many Fords), or on side of roads, generally well hidden... There, they can stop you and charge you.
My piece of advice : be careful when crossing villages, cities... when passing through a bridge...
The best thing on my mind is avoid highways and nationales and just go through small departementales.
Longer but generally very scenic roads , almost empty and a lot smaller probability to meet police than in Nationale where they're sure to meet some cars speeding...
If they catch you, just get out the car, say 'bonjour' and the 3 words of french you know, be nice, say how sorry you are, that you love France, that you're more used to miles than km/h.... and it could be fine for you or at least reduce your bill !
One thing I noticed after getting to the toll gate near Boulogne was lots of cars being flagged over by the Police. It looked as though they might have been looking at your average spped based on when you entered the toll road and when you exited and pulling people over accordingly. Can't be certain but that's what it looked like.
dj_rog said:
Didn't see that many - but I went though a speed camera on Thursday on the A28 at 110mph ish and got a nice big flash in the rear view mirror for my trouble. Hope nothing will come of it!!
They can technically persue you for the fine part through the civil courts back here, but they don't. 2010/2011 comes the unified points system..... J
ERA said:
The best thing on my mind is avoid highways and nationales and just go through small departementales.
Longer but generally very scenic roads , almost empty and a lot smaller probability to meet police than in Nationale where they're sure to meet some cars speeding...
Longer but generally very scenic roads , almost empty and a lot smaller probability to meet police than in Nationale where they're sure to meet some cars speeding...
Excellent advice, Etienne! I stayed in Amboise, about 60 miles south of le Mans, and got there using exclusively departementale roads instead of the N138 to Tours. Not a gendarme in sight either on Friday afternoon leaving le Mans, or on Saturday morning returning to the circuit. As you say, stunning scenery, superb driving roads and very light traffic. I never cease to be amazed at the quality of French tarmac, their 'country lanes' are better than our A-roads in some cases. Without satnav or a damn good navigator, however, you'll be lost for hours!
I came down to le Mans on Friday morning on the A10 and A11 from Paris and only saw one speed trap, the presence of which was forewarned to everyone in true French tradition by motorists heading in the opposite direction to Paris!! Can you imagine any bugger on the M6 flashing you from the opposite carriageway to warn you of a speed trap five miles ahead?! Left le Mans at 0100hrs on Sunday via A28 to Rouen and Abbeville and A16 to Calais. Had about 3 hours kip in the car en route, got to Calais about 0800. No speed traps at all that time of the morning anyway.
Just recived by email - the first one in the 911 was no doubt the Ruf driver mentioned in Polarbert's thread "hello from Le Mans".
vendredi 16 juin 2006, 17h44
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Un Anglais flashé à 254km/h sur l'A28
GACÉ (AP) - Un automobiliste anglais qui se rendait aux 24 heures du Mans automobiles a été flashé vendredi en fin de matinée à 254km/h sur l'autoroute A28 à hauteur de Bernay (Eure), a-t-on appris auprès des gendarmes. English driver heading for Le Mans was flashed at 254 km/h on the A28 near Bernay.
L'automobiliste au volant de sa Porsche 911 a été arrêté une soixantaine de kilomètres plus loin par les gendarmes de Gacé (Orne). The driver at the wheel of his Porker 911 was stopped 60 kms further on.
Jeudi déjà, un autre automobiliste anglais, qui se rendait lui aussi aux 24 heures du Mans, avait été intercepté à Neufchâtel (Seine-Maritime) alors qu'il roulait à 234km/h sur l'A28 au volant d'une Ford.Thursday another English motorist on the way to Le Mans was intercepted at Neufchatel at 234 km/h on the A28 in a Ford.
Les deux automobilistes risquent une rétention administrative de leur permis de conduire de 15 jours à six mois et ont dû s'acquitter sur le champ d'une amende de 750 euros. The two drivers risk their driving licences being held for up to 6 months and on the spot fines of 750€.
A l'occasion des 24 heures du Mans, la gendarmerie nationale a mis en place un dispositif de surveillance et de contrôles sur tous les axes menant au circuit automobile. AP
For the 24 hour Le Mans race, the national police have put in place a system of surveillance and control on all the roads heading to the circuit.
vendredi 16 juin 2006, 17h44
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Un Anglais flashé à 254km/h sur l'A28
GACÉ (AP) - Un automobiliste anglais qui se rendait aux 24 heures du Mans automobiles a été flashé vendredi en fin de matinée à 254km/h sur l'autoroute A28 à hauteur de Bernay (Eure), a-t-on appris auprès des gendarmes. English driver heading for Le Mans was flashed at 254 km/h on the A28 near Bernay.
L'automobiliste au volant de sa Porsche 911 a été arrêté une soixantaine de kilomètres plus loin par les gendarmes de Gacé (Orne). The driver at the wheel of his Porker 911 was stopped 60 kms further on.
Jeudi déjà, un autre automobiliste anglais, qui se rendait lui aussi aux 24 heures du Mans, avait été intercepté à Neufchâtel (Seine-Maritime) alors qu'il roulait à 234km/h sur l'A28 au volant d'une Ford.Thursday another English motorist on the way to Le Mans was intercepted at Neufchatel at 234 km/h on the A28 in a Ford.
Les deux automobilistes risquent une rétention administrative de leur permis de conduire de 15 jours à six mois et ont dû s'acquitter sur le champ d'une amende de 750 euros. The two drivers risk their driving licences being held for up to 6 months and on the spot fines of 750€.
A l'occasion des 24 heures du Mans, la gendarmerie nationale a mis en place un dispositif de surveillance et de contrôles sur tous les axes menant au circuit automobile. AP
For the 24 hour Le Mans race, the national police have put in place a system of surveillance and control on all the roads heading to the circuit.
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