Speeding in France/Switzerland ? ? ?
Discussion
Planning a trip to Switzerland and would like to pose a question just in case I crept over the speed limit at any point. The question is:
If you get nicked for speeding (forget about fines for a minute) in say France/Switzerland or anywhere else for that matter can you end up with any points/bans on your license back here?
Only want answers from unfortunates who have found out the hard way or someone who knows 100%, 99% will not do for obvious reasons
If you do not want to go public with answer, feel free to mail me.
Many Thanks,
Ivan
If you get nicked for speeding (forget about fines for a minute) in say France/Switzerland or anywhere else for that matter can you end up with any points/bans on your license back here?
Only want answers from unfortunates who have found out the hard way or someone who knows 100%, 99% will not do for obvious reasons
If you do not want to go public with answer, feel free to mail me.
Many Thanks,
Ivan
Ivan, points cannot be transferred at the moment from either country.
French Autoroute M. Grenouille will take you to the cash machine and make you pay or even impound your car. In towns they do NOT joke either but it's doubtful you'd be stopped to pay as they usually have white renault 21 estates with scameras and only the towns plod in it......who are hated by the gendarmerie!!!!!
The Swiss can be VERY aggressive (autobahns), they even radar in the middle of tunnels (the long ones) so don't be tempted. More often they set up a trap at the exit to a (short) tunnel where they know people will be accellerating. Beware of fixed site Gatsos, mostly on autobahns around Basel, Zürich and Luzern (5x).
Fines are expensive, 20kph over the top can cost you 500SFR! They WILL impound your car if you can't pay them cash, you can be put in clink and have NO rights of contact to A.N. Other until 24 hours are up!!! So be very careful, but just to even it up a bit, I've been motoring in Switzerland for the last 20 years and sometimes ripping the arse off it and only twice had to pay a fine. On motorways if you're within 20kph over the limit, it's affordable, but after that you'll get badly stung......!!!
Don't EVER speed in towns, get caught and you'll get really badly done... and I'm talking of 4-5KPH (!) over the limit!!!!!!!
If you don't pay you will be declared "persona non grata" and will be on their register. They are known to have arrested people 10 YEARS after the incident! I have a customer who was arrested for a parking fine of SFR 20 after 7 years, he did 7 days in clink in Basel and was fined all told SFR 3500,-!!!! So watch it!!!
French Autoroute M. Grenouille will take you to the cash machine and make you pay or even impound your car. In towns they do NOT joke either but it's doubtful you'd be stopped to pay as they usually have white renault 21 estates with scameras and only the towns plod in it......who are hated by the gendarmerie!!!!!
The Swiss can be VERY aggressive (autobahns), they even radar in the middle of tunnels (the long ones) so don't be tempted. More often they set up a trap at the exit to a (short) tunnel where they know people will be accellerating. Beware of fixed site Gatsos, mostly on autobahns around Basel, Zürich and Luzern (5x).
Fines are expensive, 20kph over the top can cost you 500SFR! They WILL impound your car if you can't pay them cash, you can be put in clink and have NO rights of contact to A.N. Other until 24 hours are up!!! So be very careful, but just to even it up a bit, I've been motoring in Switzerland for the last 20 years and sometimes ripping the arse off it and only twice had to pay a fine. On motorways if you're within 20kph over the limit, it's affordable, but after that you'll get badly stung......!!!
Don't EVER speed in towns, get caught and you'll get really badly done... and I'm talking of 4-5KPH (!) over the limit!!!!!!!
If you don't pay you will be declared "persona non grata" and will be on their register. They are known to have arrested people 10 YEARS after the incident! I have a customer who was arrested for a parking fine of SFR 20 after 7 years, he did 7 days in clink in Basel and was fined all told SFR 3500,-!!!! So watch it!!!
Odd, how tight arsed some of these Euro non-entities can be, is it not?
I mean, there they are, the country who wimp out of every conflict in history, propogating the world's standard for a basic law in the myre of war (the old Geneva Conv) and basically frolicking around like the worst personificators of major league eurocracy in Brussels, obsessing over human rights despite being a bunch of sanctimonious renegade Nazi gold heisting hippies and yet here they are, virtually hanging, drawing and quartering some errant speeder for a minor infraction relating to a modicum of heavy footed anvillism.
Cuckoo shagging pillocks to a man. (Gorgeous country, though.)
I mean, there they are, the country who wimp out of every conflict in history, propogating the world's standard for a basic law in the myre of war (the old Geneva Conv) and basically frolicking around like the worst personificators of major league eurocracy in Brussels, obsessing over human rights despite being a bunch of sanctimonious renegade Nazi gold heisting hippies and yet here they are, virtually hanging, drawing and quartering some errant speeder for a minor infraction relating to a modicum of heavy footed anvillism.
Cuckoo shagging pillocks to a man. (Gorgeous country, though.)
I've not driven in Switzerland much, but it seems quite obvious that the BiB are quite active, as virtually everybody drives exactly at the speed limit, including dropping 10km/h in tunnels.
Sounds like hell, but actually allows you to relax and enjoy the scenery. (must be frustrating for frequent travellers, though)
Pop across the border into Italy and the very same law-abiding Sunday drivers that you've been convoying for the last couple of hours suddenly turn into homicidal maniacs!
Sounds like hell, but actually allows you to relax and enjoy the scenery. (must be frustrating for frequent travellers, though)
Pop across the border into Italy and the very same law-abiding Sunday drivers that you've been convoying for the last couple of hours suddenly turn into homicidal maniacs!
funkihamsta said: I think the french rely on ticket times to catch speeders on these roads, so if you do an ok average speed, you can get away with more spirited bursts of speed....l think.
I think this is a bit of an urban myth. It's possible to do of course, but isn't used.
I've averaged an easy 120 mph on my trips thru France. THe big thing isn't speeding - it's not getting caught with a radar detector. Hide it all under the dash or gt the covert detectors
funkihamsta said: I've shot past police cruisers at 120mph on a toll road. I think the french rely on ticket times to catch speeders on these roads, so if you do an ok average speed, you can get away with more spirited bursts of speed....l think.
Some toll booths will time you. We were on a coach going from Sante Maxime going to Monaco for the day. Went throught a toll booth to see two ferrari 355's parked up on the hard shoulder about 20 minutes they went flying past at got knows what speed. They must have worked out if they stopped and had a coffee and a break they could do whatever speed they wanted down this stretch of the road
derestrictor said: Odd, how tight arsed some of these Euro non-entities can be, is it not?
I mean, there they are, the country who wimp out of every conflict in history, propogating the world's standard for a basic law in the myre of war (the old Geneva Conv) and basically frolicking around like the worst personificators of major league eurocracy in Brussels, obsessing over human rights despite being a bunch of sanctimonious renegade Nazi gold heisting hippies and yet here they are, virtually hanging, drawing and quartering some errant speeder for a minor infraction relating to a modicum of heavy footed anvillism.
Cuckoo shagging pillocks to a man. (Gorgeous country, though.)
Don't forget the fact that they had state endorced sterlisation program... for genetic missfits... and we are NOT talking 40 years ago!!! it was a lot more recent than that!!!
derestrictor said: Odd, how tight arsed some of these Euro non-entities can be, is it not?
I mean, there they are, the country who wimp out of every conflict in history, propogating the world's standard for a basic law in the myre of war (the old Geneva Conv) and basically frolicking around like the worst personificators of major league eurocracy in Brussels, obsessing over human rights despite being a bunch of sanctimonious renegade Nazi gold heisting hippies and yet here they are, virtually hanging, drawing and quartering some errant speeder for a minor infraction relating to a modicum of heavy footed anvillism.
Cuckoo shagging pillocks to a man. (Gorgeous country, though.)
as usual another 1st class post from D.re.
Well done keep it up. 
pmanson said:
funkihamsta said: I've shot past police cruisers at 120mph on a toll road. I think the french rely on ticket times to catch speeders on these roads, so if you do an ok average speed, you can get away with more spirited bursts of speed....l think.
Some toll booths will time you. We were on a coach going from Sante Maxime going to Monaco for the day. Went throught a toll booth to see two ferrari 355's parked up on the hard shoulder about 20 minutes they went flying past at got knows what speed. They must have worked out if they stopped and had a coffee and a break they could do whatever speed they wanted down this stretch of the road
DEFINATELY NO TIMING BETWEEN TOLL BOOTHS ITS AN URBAN MYTH - although it would make sense to do so.
Confusion occurs as the gendarmes normally set the radar traps up a km or so before each of the 'payages' and them simply stop people and do them as they arrive.
Keep it below 180kmh in France, anything above this is deep doodoo time and will involve a lolt of cash and perhaps a bed for the night.
Bennno
bennno said:
Keep it below 180kmh in France, anything above this is deep doodoo time and will involve a lolt of cash and perhaps a bed for the night.
Bennno
Good job me and Smiffy didn't get stopped on the way to Folembray then, I saw 280kmh at one point!!
Also missing your turn off because you are doing 250kmh and cant get over in time is a nono..
Haven't driven in Switzerland, I never thought they were that bloody strict...great post BTW derestrictor..
bennno said:DEFINATELY NO TIMING BETWEEN TOLL BOOTHS ITS AN URBAN MYTH - although it would make sense to do so.
They have experienced it a couple of weeks ago on the A1, and the bill is in the pipe. Hopefully it won't get anywhere but they still wrote something about this and if it is not voted now it very likely to come later on.
>> Edited by Thom on Tuesday 13th May 14:48
The toll ticket at issue has a time on it - FACT.
If you roll up at a 'checkpoint' 100 miles down the autoroute and it took you less than an hour, then they can see you have been a bit cheeky.
I don't think its official but the police probably use this as evidence enough to fine you. Seen a lot of cars pull up to kill some time prior to the toll. Have also seen police attend to cars whilst going through the toll @ 3 mph. Just what l've seen boys and girls.
If you roll up at a 'checkpoint' 100 miles down the autoroute and it took you less than an hour, then they can see you have been a bit cheeky.
I don't think its official but the police probably use this as evidence enough to fine you. Seen a lot of cars pull up to kill some time prior to the toll. Have also seen police attend to cars whilst going through the toll @ 3 mph. Just what l've seen boys and girls.
Getting caught in France is supposed to be bad news: if you are caught at over 180km/h then they may take your licence. Much over 200km/h and they may impound your car.
Before I heard these horror stories, I drove down to Courchevel and back in March. I can confirm that they don't time you between payages. If they had, I would have been in big trouble. On one longish section, I don't reckon I dropped below 180km/h and spent much of the time at over 200, including some bursts to 250+ (before my wife spotted the speedo). No-one batted an eyelid at the next payage (this was an amost completely deserted stretch of autoroute on a Friday afternoon at about 3p.m.).
On the next stretch, I came up alongside a gendarmerie Transit (or the Frog version thereof) at high speed and they gestured at me with aa smile to slow down
I did, however, get flashed by a gendarme with a radar gun on the way home near Troyes at over 220. I slowed down to 130 and was sure that I would meet my doom with a gendarmerie car at the next exit, but it didn't happen. My luck may, however, have been another Brit's downfall as another UK reg M3 in a dark colour flew past me at high speed when I was doing my 130km/h trundle. They may have got him in my place.
Next time (in a few weeks), I am going to go somewhat slower.
>> Edited by Zod on Tuesday 13th May 19:20
Before I heard these horror stories, I drove down to Courchevel and back in March. I can confirm that they don't time you between payages. If they had, I would have been in big trouble. On one longish section, I don't reckon I dropped below 180km/h and spent much of the time at over 200, including some bursts to 250+ (before my wife spotted the speedo). No-one batted an eyelid at the next payage (this was an amost completely deserted stretch of autoroute on a Friday afternoon at about 3p.m.).
On the next stretch, I came up alongside a gendarmerie Transit (or the Frog version thereof) at high speed and they gestured at me with aa smile to slow down
I did, however, get flashed by a gendarme with a radar gun on the way home near Troyes at over 220. I slowed down to 130 and was sure that I would meet my doom with a gendarmerie car at the next exit, but it didn't happen. My luck may, however, have been another Brit's downfall as another UK reg M3 in a dark colour flew past me at high speed when I was doing my 130km/h trundle. They may have got him in my place.
Next time (in a few weeks), I am going to go somewhat slower.
>> Edited by Zod on Tuesday 13th May 19:20
Zod said:I did, however, get flashed by a gendarme with a radar gun on the way home near Troyes at over 220. I slowed down to 130 and was sure that I would meet my doom with a gendarmerie car at the next exit, but it didn't happen.
Similar thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I was at 180kph on a dual lane route nationale and saw three gendarmes bikers more or less hiding behind signs.
It was on a saturday morning during heavy holiday moves and the traffic was pretty dense.
I also expected them to chase me - the bikers always work as pairs - but the fourth fellow never appeared although I had slowed down.
A friend who is a policeman later told me that now they use the laser gun for any reason such as checking if people fasten their seatbelts. I suppose that is why I was not arrested.
(fingers crossed for not receiving any unpleasant mail tomorrow...)
My red 996 C2 did 302KPH on a very long slightly downhill, deserted A road with one of our french residing family members in the passenger seat.Think I worked it out to almost 190mph after the event.
For sure the tickets have a time on them, they also plug in to a machine which says where you got them, to automatically give the cost of your journey. On this basis only a very basic bit of software could enable the frogs to time every journey.....but it doesnt happen.
We also did Northern Italy back to Calais via Switzerland, Germany and france in a Griff in 8 hours a few years back. Guess i best avoid Switzerland for a few years!
Bennno
680 miles in 8 hours= 85 mph average. What did you do? Stop for breakfast and lunch?
Le havre to Bologna, 780 miles 9 hours= 86 mph avg.
BUT I WAS IN A BLEEDIN HAIRDRESSER SLK!
Saying that, I did the same trip as you, and in a Griff, and I wasted half the day stopping for fuel.
Hare and Tortoise methinks.
Le havre to Bologna, 780 miles 9 hours= 86 mph avg.
BUT I WAS IN A BLEEDIN HAIRDRESSER SLK!
Saying that, I did the same trip as you, and in a Griff, and I wasted half the day stopping for fuel.
Hare and Tortoise methinks.
woof said:
funkihamsta said: I think the french rely on ticket times to catch speeders on these roads, so if you do an ok average speed, you can get away with more spirited bursts of speed....l think.
I think this is a bit of an urban myth. It's possible to do of course, but isn't used.
I've averaged an easy 120 mph on my trips thru France. THe big thing isn't speeding - it's not getting caught with a radar detector. Hide it all under the dash or gt the covert detectors
Woof, IT IS NOT AN URBAN MYTH!!! I've been in a car which has been pulled for exactly this on the Autoroute east of Reims in 1987!!
John
bennno said:
pmanson said:
funkihamsta said: I've shot past police cruisers at 120mph on a toll road. I think the french rely on ticket times to catch speeders on these roads, so if you do an ok average speed, you can get away with more spirited bursts of speed....l think.
Some toll booths will time you. We were on a coach going from Sante Maxime going to Monaco for the day. Went throught a toll booth to see two ferrari 355's parked up on the hard shoulder about 20 minutes they went flying past at got knows what speed. They must have worked out if they stopped and had a coffee and a break they could do whatever speed they wanted down this stretch of the road
DEFINATELY NO TIMING BETWEEN TOLL BOOTHS ITS AN URBAN MYTH - although it would make sense to do so.
Benno, next time I'd advise you to read your ticket, it has date, time to the second(!), place and kilometer noted on it and the BiB DO check OFTEN especially in Lorraine!
IT may well be that they use this to coerce you into paying, whether it stands up in court I don't know but I often see the Gendarmes stroling between the booths asking to see the tickest BEFORE they put them in the cash machine.
AND YES they do often set up a radar within 3km of the Péage, just because they're lazy sods.
My advice is keep it within 30kph i.e.160kph and they'll not bother, tear the arse out of it and they'll tear into you.
BTW the info above is (nonames) confirmed by a friend in the Gendarmerie in Alsace!!!
>> Edited by JMGS4 on Wednesday 14th May 14:41
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