Speeding in France

Hi
I was flashed by camera on a French motorway doing 140 in 130 limit. Has anyone been in a similar position?
I'd just like to know how long I should expect to wait for the dreaded letter, how much the fine is likely to be and most importantly can they put points on my licence?
Thanks all, yes, I know it was bloody stupid, it had been a long day and it happened at the bottom of a nice big hill …..

I was flashed by camera on a French motorway doing 140 in 130 limit

Yeah right… More like 150 I shall say… But to answer your question you'll be fine.

I've never known them pursue a conviction across the channel, thats not to say it couldn't happen.
I had numerous flashes at stupid speeds, on my GSXR , just outside Le Mans 2 years ago. I never heard anything.

Speeding in France

Mandatory – I believe

Aye, are you sure it didn't flash you for going too slow? Only 10kmh over the limit is holding most French traffic up.

Thanks uplink and tree-magnet, you've made me feel better about it….

Not sure it's within their power to put points on a UK license anyhoo.

If you really didn't trip the camera at way over the limit the chances are you won't ever hear from 'les cops'……………………..
however they can retain the information and if you stopped in France in the future for whatever reason they'll then bring up this speeding ticket for your attention!

I once got fined for doing 217kph – 1986 IIRC
The policeman stood in front of me in the middle of the road & blew his whistle to stop me

900FF which was about £100, quite a bit in 86

You will be fine have been doing it for years been over 160+ in c4s – Dont worry at all just plan your next journey, they are happy we spend on the tolls.

If they wanted you to drive slowly their roads would be Irish-like.

You will be fine. I was pulled over by a French Police Subaru last summer. Fortunately only received a fine. Was a little intimidating when four of them got out the car with guns strapped to their wastes…. 🙂

…………Is nothing like tripping in the dam.

I got flashed by one on the way to the alps a few years back and nothing appeared. My mum lives in France, and has quite a good understanding of french law and all its weirdness, and she seems t think that worse case scenario, the authorities will contact the DVLA and send you a fine via them, if you ignore this you will receive a court summons, if you do not attend you will be tried and convicted in your absence and banned from driving in france for 12 months. Not sure how accurate this is, but not a major worry!

I stayed and worked in France for 18 months, zipping home once or twice a month.

Was flashed a few times, nothing ever came of it. Consider also that the French cameras are designed to reveal the face of the driver only.

As we are sitting on the other side of the car, I believe our faces are obscured anyway.

Either way, I did use to get a move on, heading back to Calais, and never got hastled.

I use to like those paege, nice and clear.

So, don't sweat-it, you should be Ok, but that isn't license to go mad.

As others have posted, if they actually stop you, then its a fine. If you don't have the cash, they drive you to the nearest cash point take your money and then leave you at the cash point 😯
Very unlikely to take you back to your car.

L

In the past year I have been flashed in Switzerland, France, Austria & Germany (in my car with Belgian plates).
I have never had a ticket reach me as yet.
I must stress I don't drive crazy speeds but maybe 15-20 over the limit.
I travel a lot through the night for convenience hence with little traffic around…

There is supposed to be an agreement between UK and France, But I can't see anything happening. We've had parking tickets (outside the STW offices no less!) in our French car that haven't come to anything.

There's a ridiculous statistic like 70% of speeding offenses are caused by foreign drivers in France – who take up 5-10% of the road users.

IME – since moving to France 5 years ago, when driving in the UK I now feel slow if I'm 'only' doing 70mph – in France, if you do 130kph you feel like the fastest person on the road. Except on the 'Route d'Anglais' towards / away from Calais where the brit cars bomb past you! Perhaps they think the limit is 130mph!

IME – since moving to France 5 years ago, when driving in the UK I now feel slow if I'm 'only' doing 70mph – in France, if you do 130kph you feel like the fastest person on the road. Except on the 'Route d'Anglais' towards / away from Calais where the brit cars bomb past you! Perhaps they think the limit is 130mph!

I agree – In my experience the old stereotype of the high speed frenchman (or woman) is long gone.
Germany on the other hand….

Coming back up the A6 to Calais last year, cops on the side of the road, pointing radar gun at every passing British car, couple of Kms up the road at the peage station, there were the Gendarmes, and a whole bunch of UK cops pulling folk over, Head flic had a list of registration numbers and was walking down the queues, pointing at the drivers…

So long as you are driving behind the many speeding Belgians you'll be fine.

I too have seen speeding Brits and concealed Gendarmes on the Calais road.

-No accidents though…..

I was under the impression that the French cops could pull you over and make you cough up a fine on the spot, escorting you to a cash machine if necessary…

Btw, anyone else tempted to plan a holiday in Germany solely for the pleasure of driving your car flat out for extended periods of time?

I was under the impression that the French cops could pull you over and make you cough up a fine on the spot, escorting you to a cash machine if necessary

Correct 😳

To avoid the flash on 130kmh limits, dont go above 136 😉 unfortunately they are testing an average speed camera system…

I thought the Péage booths measured your average speed anyway?

So long as you are driving behind the many speeding Belgians you'll be fine.

I pass this claim to fame over to the Dutch (at least the 10% that aren't towing caravans anyway) 🙂

I thought the Péage booths measured your average speed anyway?

Urban myth

That's not an urban myth. You often see the Police at Peage booths waiting to fine drivers who have sped. Actually that's not true, you often see Police at Peage booths enjoying the sun and chatting and occasionally you see them stopping drivers.

They can stop you and fine you. If you don't have cash they'll take you to a cash point and get it. If you don't have cards then you could be in for a long wait while they sort it out. It's happened to a friend.

They don't bother with Spanish plates on the cameras, I don't know about the UK ones. So if you get flashed in France driving a Spanish car then you're fine. Parking is the same and it's common to see Spanish cars parked ridiculously in France, so long as they're not going to get towed.

That's my experience anyway.

Doug – That's more if you've been clocked doing silly speed. They KNOW you have to stop for the peage so you're a much easier stop.

For the OP, there's a place near Nantes that I get flashed at every single time and I've never had a ticket turn up. On the other hand, I got 300 euros of traffic violations in 12 minutes in Italy that DID turn up, but I ignored them.