Changes to French highway code

silverweed

silverweed

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I understand that in France that radar detectors are not or are not going to be legal. Does that mean or include sat navs that show when you are passing a speed camera or are they talking about other devices such as Road Angels
 
i think you are "meant" to deactivate them in your sat nav in certain european countries including france, i never do tthough, i would just play thick if i got collard lol
 
tommytli said:
i think you are "meant" to deactivate them in your sat nav in certain european countries including france, i never do tthough, i would just play thick if i got collard lol
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I've heard this too. Though personally I have disabled this feature on our GPS anyway since every few seconds it would make an annoying noise to indicate that there is the chance of a speed camera being located at this spot, plus it would beep repeatedly if you were doing exactly 30 in a 30 limit near a speed camera.

Steve.
 
Legislation in France banning the use of these devices (including Sat Nav if enabled to detect the location of speed cameras) became effective on 3rd January 2012. It is important to note that the offence is commited whether or not you are actually using the device; having it in the vehicle is the offence. At the least, you should disable the facility but it may be that even that is not good enough (yet to be tested). French traffic police have the power to issue on the spot fines which can be up to a maximum of 1500 euros - and you may get your vehicle impounded too.

Incidentally, closer to home, the 2006 Road Safety Act contained a provision to allow the Secretary of State to make similar regulations here but so far this provision has not been activated. Happy travels!
 
There are TWO different technologies here:

1. Radar detectors -scan the road ahead and warn if there is a speed detecting device about. Possession and use in France is illegal -see Radar Detectors .co.uk - The Law on Radar and Laser Speed Camera Trap Detectors

2. Warning of the presence of a speed camera using a gps 'sat nav' device. The rules for these have changed recently but most sat navs reflect these in recent safety camera updates. More detail about this has been posted elsewhere.
 
Radar detectors

Ok , for info, radar detectors that intefere with the speed devices such as the LIdar 20/20 ultralite speed measuring guns are totally illegal to have. They show the speed gun an error code and as such the guns display to the police no recorded speed............FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS ONLY because the gun then rechecks itself.
The radar detectors are complimented by a fitted incar siren/alarm bell etc, which allows the driver to low down...(100 mph = court and ban)..99 gives the officer discretion to issue fixed penalty notice (fpn) and 60 quid fine at time of writing. .however...in france it is 3000 euro fine, car impounded and all the agg that goes with that. The detectors cannot even be mounted on the vehicle even if not in use...

In the UK also totally illegal..unless you state it is a front mounted parking sensor and have the invoice declaring such.

We hear of people stating ..'its a electric garage door opener'..that works until Plod visit your house and see that you havent got one....then you are game on for a nicking in the form of..obstructing police,..perverting course of justice etc.

The safest form of speed detector is your right hoof, .th frenchies dont take an prisoners on this one......and also from November 2012 all drivers must now have One unused breathlyser in the vehicle calibrated to french spec....11 euro fine for starters...
 
Technically illegal to have the French speedcam POIs on your tomtom or other satnav

Is the TomTom Speed Camera service legal?

So TomTom have now replaced them with 'Danger Zone' POIs which effectively tell you where the speedcams are. What a complete nonsense and so typical of Sarkozean laws.

I took mine off when the law was first introduced now I have put them back on again.

There is another extremely interesting related point here: The UK doesn't share its vehicle registration database with France or vice versa. Please let me know if anyone here has ever received/paid a fixed penalty fine from a FIXED speed camera whilst driving a UK REGISTERED vehicle in France.

My belief is that getting flashed will not result in a fine. Getting caught by the Gendarmes hiding behind a hedge is another matter of course and your satnav probably wouldn't help you in that situation anyway.

So my conclusion is that this is yet another silly law, unlikely ever to be enforced, just like the requirement to carry your own breath test kits in France. Out of touch with the real world.
 
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fairytooth said:
There is another extremely interesting related point here: The UK doesn't share its vehicle registration database with France or vice versa. Please let me know if anyone here has ever received/paid a fixed penalty fine from a FIXED speed camera whilst driving a UK REGISTERED vehicle in France.

My belief is that getting flashed will not result in a fine.
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I have been flashed on a number of occasions in france and have never recieved a fine. Not big speeds, 10-15mph over the speed limits usually on the smaller roads.
 
There are companies based in the UK who trace car owners through DVLA on behalf of European agencies,thats the loophole.

You don't need to be an approved organisation to access this information,just a bank balance, DVLA will do anything for money for anyone,except the motorist.
 
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sasquatch said:
There are companies based in the UK who trace car owners through DVLA on behalf of European agencies,thats the loophole.
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Which costs money, hence why unless its a potentially very big fine they don't seem to bother.
 
sasquatch said:
There are companies based in the UK who trace car owners through DVLA on behalf of European agencies,thats the loophole.

You don't need to be an approved organisation to access this information,just a bank balance, DVLA will do anything for money for anyone,except the motorist.
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Maybe but I'm still waiting to hear from anyone who this has ACTUALLY happened to. There are so many stories promulgated of the urban myth variety ... people being gassed in their vans etc, etc.

I prefer to hear it from an actual member's personal experience before I give any of these things much credence.
 
John H said:
Legislation in France banning the use of these devices (including Sat Nav if enabled to detect the location of speed cameras) became effective on 3rd January 2012. It is important to note that the offence is commited whether or not you are actually using the device; having it in the vehicle is the offence. At the least, you should disable the facility but it may be that even that is not good enough (yet to be tested). French traffic police have the power to issue on the spot fines which can be up to a maximum of 1500 euros - and you may get your vehicle impounded too.

Incidentally, closer to home, the 2006 Road Safety Act contained a provision to allow the Secretary of State to make similar regulations here but so far this provision has not been activated. Happy travels!
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There is an article covering this topic in this months Practical Motorhome - not a big article but as John H says the main offence.....see bold type above.
ian
 
fairytooth said:
people being gassed in their vans etc, etc.

I prefer to hear it from an actual member's personal experience before I give any of these things much credence.
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This is a classic. I have met so many people who insist that they have met or have a friend who has been gassed. I have yet to actually meet someone who has been gassed themselves.
 
Harmergeddon said:
This is a classic. I have met so many people who insist that they have met or have a friend who has been gassed. I have yet to actually meet someone who has been gassed themselves.
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There is a big thread regarding this - somewhere on the site - basically expressing what you've noted. An interesting read if you can find it.
 
Hi Fairytooth,
I was 'flashed' about 6 years ago for driving an HGV in the (wrong) overtaking lane in a Swiss M/way tunnel, never heard 'owt more about it.
We also once spoke first hand to a couple who claimed that "they had been gassed & robbed" but on closer (polite) questioning their story became less & less credible to the point of verging on the improbable.
 
ivecotrucker said:
Hi Fairytooth,
I was 'flashed' about 6 years ago for driving an HGV in the (wrong) overtaking lane in a Swiss M/way tunnel, never heard 'owt more about it.
We also once spoke first hand to a couple who claimed that "they had been gassed & robbed" but on closer (polite) questioning their story became less & less credible to the point of verging on the improbable.
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I was gassed in the UK & we didn't have the windows open - would have been better if we had.



It was the dog what done it. :wacko: No more scraps for her while camping!
 
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