ShiftZZ
LIFE MEMBER
Last year, in the dying days of the Sarkozy administration, it was decided it should become law for all vehicles on the road in France to carry two breath testing kits. Shortly after the announcement was made, major stores and pharmacies ran out of kits, the main producer of kits (coincidentally owned by a friend of M. Sarkozy) took on extra staff to deal with a boom in demand and, under pressure from motoring organisations and the public at large, the imposition of fines for failing to carry the obligatory testing kits was delayed.
It has now been decreed that fines will not be imposed for failing to carry the kits – although the law requiring them to be carried has not been repealed. So it remains against the law not to carry the kits, but there is effectively no penalty. I suspect that if stopped and asked if you are carrying a kit, then if you are not you are liable to be tested with the police or gendarmerie's own equipment.
A piece of testing equipment which really won't go away, however, is the new, state-of-the-art radar being fitted to certain gendarmerie vehicles (thus far only on trial in the Paris area). These new speed cameras are used by moving vehicles and can detect your speed whether they are behind you or travelling in the opposite direction. They're virtually undetectable until you see the “flash” of a camera. By which time, of course, it is too late to take action and slow down.
We wouldn't want your trip to France to be marred by a speeding fine, so remember that in built-up areas (when you pass a red sign with a town or village name) the speed limit is 50kph ( 31mph) unless otherwise clearly stated. Normally just outside towns or villages there is a 70kph limit (43mph) and on roads other than dual carriageways, the maximum speed limit is 90kph (56mph)
Certain dual carriageways have a limit of 110kph (68mph) and the limit for motorways is 130kph (80mph) which is reduced to 110kph (68mph) if it is raining.
Roadside warnings for fixed speed cameras are quite clear, but mobile radar is on the whole more common than in the UK, and the gendarmerie is notorious for finding clever places to hide. Best advice for an enjoyable and safe holiday is to stay within the speed limits at all times.
Source.
http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/whoarewe.htm
It has now been decreed that fines will not be imposed for failing to carry the kits – although the law requiring them to be carried has not been repealed. So it remains against the law not to carry the kits, but there is effectively no penalty. I suspect that if stopped and asked if you are carrying a kit, then if you are not you are liable to be tested with the police or gendarmerie's own equipment.
A piece of testing equipment which really won't go away, however, is the new, state-of-the-art radar being fitted to certain gendarmerie vehicles (thus far only on trial in the Paris area). These new speed cameras are used by moving vehicles and can detect your speed whether they are behind you or travelling in the opposite direction. They're virtually undetectable until you see the “flash” of a camera. By which time, of course, it is too late to take action and slow down.
We wouldn't want your trip to France to be marred by a speeding fine, so remember that in built-up areas (when you pass a red sign with a town or village name) the speed limit is 50kph ( 31mph) unless otherwise clearly stated. Normally just outside towns or villages there is a 70kph limit (43mph) and on roads other than dual carriageways, the maximum speed limit is 90kph (56mph)
Certain dual carriageways have a limit of 110kph (68mph) and the limit for motorways is 130kph (80mph) which is reduced to 110kph (68mph) if it is raining.
Roadside warnings for fixed speed cameras are quite clear, but mobile radar is on the whole more common than in the UK, and the gendarmerie is notorious for finding clever places to hide. Best advice for an enjoyable and safe holiday is to stay within the speed limits at all times.
Source.
http://www.frenchpropertylinks.com/whoarewe.htm