Speeding in France (1 Viewer)

Jun 17, 2012
2,919
9,817
North Essex
Funster No
21,517
MH
Autotrail Delaware
Exp
>12 but <13
Whilst trundling along after a superb 4 weeks in France I had only just thought how few speed cameras I had seen.
Then one of them winked ! at me. :Eeek:
I did find the constant changes of 90, 70, 50 even 30 quite a challenge but my maximum speed in a little short of 2000 miles was 63 MPH according to my sat nav. I was winked by a little forward facing box on my side in a 70 km section.
I was doing 77/76 when I glanced at sat nav. This was one of those wide open roads with no obvious reason for 70 km except approaching a roundabout although I was still some way from it.

I'm not looking for excuses and I accept I was driving so will accept the consequences whatever they may be.
So what are they ?? Anyone had first hand experience which they are prepared to admit please?
 

stcyr

Free Member
Apr 11, 2011
1,765
1,160
Normandie
Funster No
16,005
MH
A class
Exp
On & off, since 1966 - fulltime since 2005
There is talk here of re-introducing Mme. Guillotine ... :Smile:

One gets a letter within 2 days asking for a donation of 60 euros if the limit is exceeded by 2 or 3kmh., at least when you have a French address.
You'll most likely get away with it this time - not definite though as France is a bit keener on pursuing 'foreign' offenders than the UK is...

They're very powerful cameras here though, (and take your pic too), in fact I was flashed in the car near Brest in Brittany, which I haven't visited for a few years, within 10 minutes of filling the gas-tank in south Wales while heading back to Newhaven for the ferry home the next day. :RollEyes:

The 'avis de contravention' was waiting in the letterbox at home the day after...

Bonne chance!!
 

JeanLuc

Free Member
Nov 17, 2008
3,304
2,199
Warwickshire
Funster No
4,952
MH
Hymer B630 Star-Line
Exp
Since 2007
I have no idea what the outcome may be - if you are lucky, they may think it is not worthwhile for a relatively minor discretion. However, as a word of caution, and not knowing whether you used motorways where the limit is higher, I offer the following thought.
If your Kontiki is plated at more than 3.5 tonnes, your speed limit on single carriageway roads is 80 kph, not 90 and your maximum of 63 mph equates to 101 kph.
I am not trying to sound smart, merely pointing this out in case you did not know.

p.s. the French truckers seem to ignore the limits anyway, but I guess they know where the cameras are located.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

tonka

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 2, 2008
10,796
21,441
Cannock, Staffs
Funster No
3,141
MH
A class Burstner 800
Exp
Since 2000
I came back yesterday and going through one village with a 70kph limit I noticed a shiny silver box placed at the side of the road against a house !! Speed camera at ground level..
They think of everything these French police, I bet they leave it there for an hour while they go have a coffee... Come back and start sending out the fines..:Doh:
 

stcyr

Free Member
Apr 11, 2011
1,765
1,160
Normandie
Funster No
16,005
MH
A class
Exp
On & off, since 1966 - fulltime since 2005
... and just recently 'voitures banalisées' were introduced - unmarked cars with cameras ...
 

hilldweller

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 5, 2008
605
36,108
Macclesfield
Funster No
5,089
MH
Zilch Mk1
Exp
From Aug 2007
I'm not looking for excuses and I accept I was driving so will accept the consequences whatever they may be.
So what are they ??

France, now embracing all things Muslim, are adopting sharia law and will cut off your right foot.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Ed Excel

Free Member
Nov 27, 2012
870
547
Ribble Valley
Funster No
23,815
MH
Coach built
Exp
Started 2007
... and just recently 'voitures banalisées' were introduced - unmarked cars with cameras ...

And this is what the 'voiture bandits' look like:
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    81.1 KB · Views: 117

MattR

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 18, 2013
4,083
37,398
Beds
Funster No
27,578
MH
Panel van
Exp
Years
I was flashed at 3 weeks ago in NW France and my friends who live in Normandy suggested that I should not worry - they get flashed frequently but have never been fined.
 

Allanm

Free Member
Jun 30, 2013
5,431
9,191
Cotes d'armor, France
Funster No
26,730
MH
Burstner Harmony TI 736 G
Exp
Since 1987
I came back yesterday and going through one village with a 70kph limit I noticed a shiny silver box placed at the side of the road against a house !! Speed camera at ground level..
They think of everything these French police, I bet they leave it there for an hour while they go have a coffee... Come back and start sending out the fines..:Doh:

All the speed cameras I saw in France were low level. The like to place them forward facing just behind Armco barriers and just inside 50km limits in Limoges, most other places we visited last week were low level rear facing just about anywhere. Many of the warning signs have been removed too, so it pays to have your eyes on your speedo / sat nav. I have set my sat nav set on Kmh but don't rely on them for speed limits. I have been through small towns where I expect the limit to be 50kmh only to find a 30 Rappel sign a few yards, sorry, metres further on
I actually went through a police radar trap in Burgundy, luckily I was going very slowly because I was lost!
Allan

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Oct 29, 2012
887
1,043
essex
Funster No
23,489
MH
Rapido 9090df
Exp
20 years (unless you count my dads VW which makes it 52 years with a few gaps!!)
France, now embracing all things Muslim, are adopting sharia law and will cut off your right foot.
If Att doesn't beat them to it for you being so blase about it:ROFLMAO:
 

spitfire

Free Member
Oct 13, 2010
2,408
5,135
Correze France
Funster No
14,089
MH
Bavaria
Exp
Since 2003
I was flashed at 3 weeks ago in NW France and my friends who live in Normandy suggested that I should not worry - they get flashed frequently but have never been fined.

Tell do how you can live in France and never get fined ?? !!
 

MattR

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 18, 2013
4,083
37,398
Beds
Funster No
27,578
MH
Panel van
Exp
Years
Tell do how you can live in France and never get fined ?? !!

Probably because they have a UK registered car and just use their French house for the holidays. They did, however, suggest that their French friends seemed to get away with it as well. The only time that they have been fined is when they were zapped by a police officer at the side of the road. They are not speed freaks (afaik) but it seems increasingly easy to be flashed in France now - speeds limits change regularly and there is not always and obvious reason which would help remind drivers of the limit.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

JeanLuc

Free Member
Nov 17, 2008
3,304
2,199
Warwickshire
Funster No
4,952
MH
Hymer B630 Star-Line
Exp
Since 2007
I have set my sat nav set on Kmh but don't rely on them for speed limits. I have been through small towns where I expect the limit to be 50kmh only to find a 30 Rappel sign a few yards, sorry, metres further on
Allan

Having recently replaced our old Garmin 250 Nüvi with a New Dezl 560 (trucker's model), I have been impressed by the truck speed limits function. When using it in Truck or Motorhome (RV) mode, it displays the general truck speed limit and seems to be very sensitive to local variations (in France too!). It doesn't work on all roads as some have not been classified in the Navteq maps database, but so far the system is pretty impressive.
 

laneside

Funster
Deceased RIP
Aug 14, 2009
2,668
6,276
Oradour sur Vayres
Funster No
7,981
MH
Rapido V66
Exp
nowhere near long enough
Funny how we all differ, unless France has changed in the last six months I find it just about the easiest country to be able to anticipate what the speed limit is or will be.

Not being critical of anyone just my personal observations

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

JOHNSTEY

Free Member
Jan 14, 2011
438
316
Edinburgh
Funster No
14,957
MH
Low Profile
Exp
Our fourth glorious year!
We have been flashed couple of times and nothing has ever come of it.I wouldn't sweat it if I were you...life has enough real stresses so why worry about what might not come to anything!:thumb:
 

MattR

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 18, 2013
4,083
37,398
Beds
Funster No
27,578
MH
Panel van
Exp
Years
Funny how we all differ, unless France has changed in the last six months I find it just about the easiest country to be able to anticipate what the speed limit is or will be.

Not being critical of anyone just my personal observations

Interestingly - I find it more difficult than most countries that I have driven in around the world.


The route I took going up towards Normandy from Tours had several villages that had speed limits that ranged from 30 to 70 kph. I was flashed approx 400m from the start of the village and had missed the sign stating the limit which was approx 400m behind me (I checked). I was travelling at approx 73 kph as that was the max comfortable speed that I was comfortable with (due to the road camber, slope and size of our vehicle) even though I believed the limit to still have been 90.
 
Jul 3, 2008
1,098
943
Lincolnshire
Funster No
3,154
MH
Autotrail Apache 700
Exp
since 1998
They have started to incorporate speed camer's into the crash barriers on the central reservations of motorways. :Eeek:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

peter marshall

Free Member
Mar 5, 2009
2,466
1,704
Cleveleys,Lancashire
Funster No
5,822
MH
Low Line
Exp
9 Years
Hi
Not the same, we went through a pay booth that wouldn't take my card or cash, the barrier went up we went through with the alarm sounding, this was in June around 40 euros not heard anything. Pete ::bigsmile:
 

deanroofing

Free Member
Nov 20, 2011
297
253
bedfordshire
Funster No
18,959
MH
coachbuilt
Exp
since 2010
Was flashed back in July nothing came through the post,
In France at the moment and not been arrested yet, did read some where
That we don't assist them in UK with fines, but if you get lasered that's a payment on the spot job, as mentioned dont worry about it.
 
OP
OP
Larby
Jun 17, 2012
2,919
9,817
North Essex
Funster No
21,517
MH
Autotrail Delaware
Exp
>12 but <13
Interestingly - I find it more difficult than most countries that I have driven in around the world.


The route I took going up towards Normandy from Tours had several villages that had speed limits that ranged from 30 to 70 kph. I was flashed approx 400m from the start of the village and had [HI]missed the sign stating the limit [/HI]which was approx 400m behind me (I checked). I was travelling at approx 73 kph as that was the max comfortable speed that I was comfortable with (due to the road camber, slope and size of our vehicle) [HI]even though I believed the limit to still have been 90.[/HI]

Basically the same as me. We are expected to slow for roundabouts/villages etc. but the French tend to apply reducing limits and that is what caught me out. What was the outcome of being flashed ? as Brian has suggested I'll have my foot cut off and they already have me by the balls (Pappajohn).

I would rather get a fine and be done with it, rather than returning to find I set off an ANPR and get hit for an unpaid fine within minutes of arriving in France again.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Ed Excel

Free Member
Nov 27, 2012
870
547
Ribble Valley
Funster No
23,815
MH
Coach built
Exp
Started 2007
I know it doesn't solve all speed limit problems but, if you have a Fiat x2/50 based van, there is a maximum speed warning you can set, which might be useful for motorway travel.
 

MattR

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 18, 2013
4,083
37,398
Beds
Funster No
27,578
MH
Panel van
Exp
Years
Basically the same as me. We are expected to slow for roundabouts/villages etc. but the French tend to apply reducing limits and that is what caught me out. What was the outcome of being flashed ? as Brian has suggested I'll have my foot cut off and they already have me by the balls (Pappajohn).

I would rather get a fine and be done with it, rather than returning to find I set off an ANPR and get hit for an unpaid fine within minutes of arriving in France again.

No letters, fines or amputations 3 weeks after the event.
 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top