Anyone know what the score is with the French Speed cameras. Passed a couple driving back to Calais yesterday and as I passed they seemed to do a weak single flash, but I was within the speed limit so wasn’t too worried at first. Just seemed weird and not all of them did it. First one I thought was maybe just the early morning sun catching the glass, but then saw it again. Do they maybe give a little flash if you’re close to the limit or am I just being paranoid?

I think they maybe don’t do a double flash. Don’t worry about it anyway. They send a letter, then one more. And nothing after that. Or so a mate told me. 🙂

EDIT: Whether you ignore it may depend on whether you were in a rental or your own motor.

I’ve never even had a letter from them, which is a shame as I (accidentally) set one off on the Mulsanne Straight once and was looking forward to framing it

My understanding is that its the actual Flics who get to hand out on-the-spot-fines and the cameras get ignored?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/05/british-motorists-continent-face-640-speeding-fines-saturday/

I stand corrected!

not that I have a particularly heavy right foot (especially with a car full of family & holiday stuff), but will be even more careful now…….

In years gone by, i have never worried about it, despite trying to mainly stick to the speed limits i have been flashed occasionally…

Never heard anything however, the new rules as above suggest you wont get away with it any longer…..

As driving to the alps in a fortnight, I’ll be trying to pay greater attention to the speed limits, that or using false plates 😉

Not sure why anyone would break the speed limit whether here or “over there”

Just.
Sayin.

The flash, even in broad daylight, is quite noticeable.
For reference; on a 90 limit road or under they flash at 5kmh over the limit. On 110 and 130 limits, it’s a percentage over the set limit. Generally 136kmh on a 130 limit autoroute is the line that may not be crossed with fixed cameras, patrols may or may not be stricter.

Not sure why anyone would break the speed limit whether here or “over there”

Because you get there quicker if you go faster. And if there are zero consequences (actual, potential, felt, perceived), why not?

Not sure why anyone would break the speed limit whether here or “over there”

Just.
Sayin.

Thank you, captain sensible.

Driving in an unfamiliar country, with lots to take in and adjust to all at once, I’d expect it’s fairly easy to misunderstand a road sign and accidentally break the limit. Entering towns in France for example, the town’s name sign implies a 50kph restriction which ends on leaving town, there’s no explicit (50) sign. If you didn’t know that then you’d have no way of working it out from the signage and could be speeding through town inadvertently.

Driving in an unfamiliar country, with lots to take in and adjust to all at once, I’d expect it’s fairly easy to misunderstand a road sign and accidentally break the limit. Entering towns in France for example, the town’s name sign implies a 50kph restriction which ends on leaving town, there’s no explicit (50) sign. If you didn’t know that then you’d have no way of working it out from the signage and could be speeding through town inadvertently.

That, but mainly: peage, bored, rather be there an hour quicker, and either a) not miss your ferry because you couldn’t get your shit together to leave in time, b) you might get the earlier ferry if you “make progress” or c) if you speed the whole way, you can afford to stop for a hour’s nap.

Lol at bikebuoy’s “just trollin” and lol at the so-called European Union’s lack of reciprocation.

Flash is pretty obvious IME. Speed limits on Autoroute can be tricky as many sections are lower than 130, been caught out by that beforE myself by a motorbike cop but Still did not get a ticket (136 in a 110). Also IME I have never had a ticket sent over from France (two from Switzerland). I understand there is now a new arrangement where in theory tickets will be sent out for UK drivers. My belief is the French are very unlikely to follow up unless you are really long way over. If you are French on a French plate car they follow up everything.

Driving in an unfamiliar country, with lots to take in and adjust to all at once, I’d expect it’s fairly easy to misunderstand a road sign and accidentally break the limit. Entering towns in France for example, the town’s name sign implies a 50kph restriction which ends on leaving town, there’s no explicit (50) sign. If you didn’t know that then you’d have no way of working it out from the signage and could be speeding through town inadvertently.

Isn’t this exactly the same as in the UK ? Often no explicit signs either. Built up area with street lighting is a 30mph by default even without signs – the red frame around the sign means just that in Frogland : 50 km/h and is always there actually, unlike in the UK where you have to look for the street lights as the legal indicator for built up area even without any buildings.

Lack of familiarity should mean more prudence rather than less, surely.

Not trollin.. honestly.

Just don’t see the point of speeding.

I’ve done plenty of miles in Europe, about 200k over 2007-2010, towing yachts and dinghies around and plenty of restrictions doing that apply here as well as Europe. Plenty of opportunity to boot it in my then 330d touring whilst towing, but didn’t see the point. Plenty of missed ferries due to multiple issues, still not a reason to boot it. Make progress all you like, plenty of folk break the limits here as well as there.. just don’t expect to get away with it, as you wouldn’t expect to here.

Take your time, enjoy the journey.

Got flashed a number of times in France, back before they could fine Brits, and didn’t understand what was going on. The cameras were hidden, and I hadn’t realised what the weird sign that looks like a WiFi logo was (speed camera section apparently). Just happily cruising, “what is that sign?” and “huh, was that a flash?”, and couldn’t see a camera. Took a while to twig 😀

Wasn’t deliberately speeding. Set it on cruise for the limit for autoroutes, but then I’d often miss the exceptions. Tired/bored driving for 10+ hours (with breaks) doesn’t help, especially when toll roads are so smooth and little traffic on them.

Depending on Speedo I guess I could have been a km or 2 over the 110 limit, but was conciously trying to keep it to a max of 110 even in the 130 sections as beyond 110 the fuel economy of my minibus is shocking.
I did get flashed properly last year, late evening coming off the motorway late evening and hadn’t slowed enough on the slip road before encountering a camera. Got a fine through the post about a month later. Cost me 45€. Guess only time will tell this time.

Got flashed last year and didn’t hear anything.

I have done 10,000s of KMs in France and the continent in general and to be honest never really felt the need to speed.

Keep in mind they do calculate you average speed on the peage as standard and there can be Police at the toll gates handing out fines.

My brother got caught by Gendarmes speeding and they didn’t mess around, money taken then and there.

Just a thought, but did you have bikes on the roof?

I set one off last year – clear double flash and was the only car in range but I was definitley not speeding. Cruise set at 130 kmh on a dry autoroute.

Never heard anything, but I did wonder if the 4 bikes on the roof made the camera think I was a bigger vehicle with a lower speed restriction.

they do calculate you average speed on the peage as standard

Pretty sure this isn’t true

Got flashed in France three times, once in 2012 and twice in 2015. Never heard anything from them. I forget what the first was bit the other two were 120 in a 90 zone and 95 in a 90 zone.

they do calculate you average speed on the peage as standard

The definitely did not do this (short section that used to be around Reims – my average was very good one year)

***URBAN MYTH ALERT***

Keep in mind they do calculate you average speed on the peage as standard and there can be Police at the toll gates handing out fines.

Not sure that is a myth . seen it a few times and french tv prog on it too . But you ll have to be unlucky as they probably only select one lane at the peage .

some emergency phones , orange things at side of motorway have flashes in them , they flash if you are too close to the car in front .

French speed cameras have had to be downgraded due to budget cuts…

😆

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvYxXBMqEOM[/video]

You’re not allowed to have the speed camera positions on your GPS, but you can have the safety camera zones.

If you use Waze the speed camera will be exactly in the middle of the displayed zone (it shows a side bar showing how far you’re through the zone). Top tip.

You’re not allowed to have the speed camera positions on your GPS, but you can have the safety camera zones.

Have you got a source for that? It’d be good to have confirmation rather than risk having your device crushed at the roadside.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/radar-detectors-in-france.html

That, but mainly: peage, bored, rather be there an hour quicker, and either a) not miss your ferry because you couldn’t get your shit together to leave in time, b) you might get the earlier ferry if you “make progress” or c) if you speed the whole way, you can afford to stop for a hour’s nap.

Does the same apply on the way down to the ferry on the outward half of the trip? Double standards on here amaze me they really do!

My old man got clocked at 153mph in France. The Gendarme took 100 Francs cash and let him on his way. Think he liked his motor (TWR XJ-S 6.25L).

If there is a “Radar” sign here is always a camera unlike in uk. So if you see a sign pay attention. Most speed cameras are a grey box with yellow/black tape but they have some new ones which look like a grey “stealth fighter” with a camera which takes a photo of the back of the car fyi, ie you won’t see a camera / glass slot.

As for “peage average” I call bollix as I have averaged over the limit between stations occasionally. I have seen numerous locals doing so also, eg I am doing 130 and they dissapear going substantially faster on sections with no cameras and we never catch them up

Cougar – yup 100% you can legally have zones as in Waze app. The police cannot access your phone so what are they going to do. Devices like TomToms have had to remove them. Waze is like a social network and even temporary hand held check points appear very quickly, we put them up if we see them but generally they are there already. Appear within minutes – you just click “confirm/thumbs up” and the App knows the original report was accurate

they dont check average speed of every single driver at the peage .

I love the Telegraph’s “quirk of EU law” which is actually that UK law assigns responsibility differently to French law (i.e. we could sort it if we wanted) – every chance to blame the EU in that paper whether it’s true or not.

I think people are confusing radars tronçons which work on average speed over several kms and péages which are just péages. I can’t see how they could use péages without the same rigorous calibration and mis en conformité as radar guns which would cost a fortune. They’d need personnel assermenté too. It’s the last thing the autoroute companies want, they’re selling speed.

Ewan – Member
http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/radar-detectors-in-france.html

That clearly doesn’t back up what you said though.

You’re not allowed to have the speed camera positions on your GPS, but you can have the safety camera zones.

French laws prohibiting drivers from carrying devices capable of detecting speed cameras have been extended to include devices able to warn or inform of the location of speed cameras e.g. satnav or gps systems capable of showing speed camera sites as PoI.

Are zones different from sites? Potentially, but I wouldn’t bet €100 on it.

Cougar – yup 100% you can legally have zones as in Waze app. The police cannot access your phone so what are they going to do.

By that argument you can have camera POIs on your phone so long as you lock it before you get stopped.

My Garmin GPS no longer shows camera locations in France, but now shows a “Dangerous road segment” in some areas where there may happen to be speed cameras. Not all of them though.

I was wondering if the camera had flashed as it thought I was a larger vehicle, it’s a Renault Trafic, but the minibus version so subject to same limits as a passenger car rather than a van. Maybe (hopefully) I’ll hear nothing of it.

http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5560/~/tomtom-speed-camera-service-and-the-law

Tom toms take on it. Waze is a Google product so presumably they’d adjust what they display by what’s legal in each country. (what with Google being 100% up on European law