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navtrav
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Joined: 03/01/2003 19:00:24
Posts: 122
Location: United Kingdom
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 Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 9:46 am Post subject: Re: French speed traps |
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| Darren wrote: | | galoubet wrote: | | All seems a bit pointless as the French authorities themselves advertise well in advance the position of speed cameras. If you fail to notice the huge roadside signs several hundred metres before the cameras you deserve to get caught! |
They only apply to fixed speed cameras, not mobiles, which are often well hidden.
And one French web site is claiming that the signage will be removed as part of this crack down anyway. |
Yes, the French Interior Ministry's official website that says:
The panels indicating the presence of fixed radars will be removed and the charts of installation of radars will not be made public any more. Information on the positioning of the fixed radars encourages indeed certain drivers to respect the regulation speeds only to their proximity.
As well as 1,000 new cameras planned by 2012, the site also says (excuse the Babel translation):
The sanctions for control of a vehicle with a screen apparatus under operation in the field of view of the driver (others which assistance with control and standard navigation GPS) will be worsened: withdrawal of three points and amends of 1.500 euros (the contractual fine for this type of infringement is today of 135 euros fine and the withdrawal of two points). The contraveners will also expose themselves to the seizure of the screen apparatus.
I take that to mean the sat nav must not stick on the windscreen or block any part of the driver's view out of it. |
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spook51
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Joined: Mar 26, 2004
Posts: 548
Location: East Midlands
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 10:25 am Post subject: |
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Update: Driving in France where it states:
"The French government has announced it will remove the road-signs that warn drivers of an approaching speed camera, as one of a number of measures aimed at improving road safety.
Ministers took the decision this morning, at a specially arranged inter-ministerial committee meeting on road safety. Amongst other measures:
Drivers caught doing more than 50km/h over the speed limit will be punished through the courts
Drivers caught drink driving with more than 0.8g of alcohol in their blood, will receive an eight point penalty, rather than the six currently in force
Drivers caught using a telephone at the wheel will receive a three point penalty rather than two.
Those caught driving with a screen operating in the field of view of the driver will get a hefty increase in fine from 135€ to 1500€, as well as three points taken away, with the possibility of their equipment also being seized." |
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Wazza_G
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Joined: Jan 10, 2006
Posts: 585
Location: Guildford (Regrettibly)
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 10:28 am Post subject: |
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Well I only drive occasionally to Belgium or Boulogne, most of the time I drive in the Calais area & I know where the fixed camera is there, so I'm not too worried, besides out there I know I can be fined OTS & I find the speed limits are more reasonable than here.
As for sticking things on the windscreen, that's my pet hate, the number of idiots you see driving around here with a sat-nav in the line of vision makes my blood boil. 
Why not use a bean bag mount, it's so easy to use, it doesn't put the unit in your line of vision & as an added bonus it doesn't leave the tell-tale ring on the screen to potential thieves. 
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navtrav
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Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 10:50 am Post subject: |
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| Wazza_G wrote: |
As for sticking things on the windscreen, that's my pet hate, the number of idiots you see driving around here with a sat-nav in the line of vision makes my blood boil.
Why not use a bean bag mount, it's so easy to use, it doesn't put the unit in your line of vision & as an added bonus it doesn't leave the tell-tale ring on the screen to potential thieves. |
Even with a bean bag on the dash in my Toyota iQ, it stands proud of the windscreen's bottom line.
Maybe it'll work on the passenger seat (when it's empty!) |
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Wazza_G
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Joined: Jan 10, 2006
Posts: 585
Location: Guildford (Regrettibly)
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 10:55 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, but being at the bottom of the windscreen is where mine is & yes, it sits proud of the bottom of it too, but at least it's fairly discrete there unlike quite a few idiots (mostly females) around my patch who stick it on the windscreen at EYE LEVEL!
Isn't it about time that we had the same laws as in California, where you're not allowed to attach them to the windscreen at all.
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Froggy
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Joined: Sep 28, 2005
Posts: 147
Location: Glasgow
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 10:58 am Post subject: Re: French speed traps |
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[quote="navtrav"][quote="Darren"] | galoubet wrote: |
As well as 1,000 new cameras planned by 2012, the site also says (excuse the Babel translation):
The sanctions for control of a vehicle with a screen apparatus under operation in the field of view of the driver (others which assistance with control and standard navigation GPS) will be worsened: withdrawal of three points and amends of 1.500 euros (the contractual fine for this type of infringement is today of 135 euros fine and the withdrawal of two points). The contraveners will also expose themselves to the seizure of the screen apparatus.
I take that to mean the sat nav must not stick on the windscreen or block any part of the driver's view out of it. |
The french version clearly states that GPS navigation devices are exempt from the 'line of vision' rule ie (apart from navigational and GPS devices)
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GO 750 Live HD Traffic, Map Europe 930, Navcore 9.510 |
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beeceegee
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Joined: May 09, 2011
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 11:05 am Post subject: |
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(autres qu’aide à la conduite et à la navigation type GPS)
my limited 40 year old O level french may be failing me here, but does that not mean "other than driving aids and satnav"? - ie tvs & dvd players etc?
[SORRY - Froggy beat me to it!] |
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zoom
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 11:21 am Post subject: |
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If that law does come into play then people could remove the speed cam POI and put in their own 200m upstream of the camera and call it something else like 'area of outstanding cheese' and have a little icon of a cheese.
They could have a whole range of POIs ...
'garlic waft'
'Gallic shrug'
'Zidane headbut'
;)
Last edited by zoom on Fri May 13, 2011 11:37 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Darren
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 11:33 am Post subject: |
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| ianhb wrote: | | So how does this affect the printed maps and road atlases that are sold in France with speed camera locations marked?? |
Well of course at the moment nobody knows the answer to that. Whether they will move to forbid the sale of those as well I have no idea. Although they're of limited use as far as I can see.
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galoubet
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 12:29 pm Post subject: Re: French speed traps |
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| Darren wrote: |
They only apply to fixed speed cameras, not mobiles, which are often well hidden. |
Don't remember seeing many (if any) mobile cameras in France. But there are lots of gendarmes with tiny hand held radars in dark clothes hiding behind trees it's true. Not like our coppers with bright yellow jackets in plain view.
Last year in France I was stopped on my motorbike by a pair of gendarmes doing some routine checks. They forgot the checks when they spied my (old) Garmin Zumo GPS. I spent the next 10 minutes demonstrating it for them. They'd never seen one before!
I'm off to France tomorrow for 4 weeks. I'll keep a beady eye for cameras! |
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Darren
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 2:06 pm Post subject: Re: French speed traps |
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| galoubet wrote: | | Don't remember seeing many (if any) mobile cameras in France. |
Precisely! The Gendarmerie deploy a good number of mobiles, often tripod mounted cameras on autoroutes with a car hidden close by.
Although speed camera penalties don't affect foreign registered vehicles yet, there are moves afoot to ensure that you will receive the fine if you are an EU member.
Currently it's only when you get stopped by police or Gendarmes that a fine, and on the spot too, is likely.
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JohnDough
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Joined: May 29, 2009
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 2:19 pm Post subject: Re Cameras |
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I notice in Ireland they have a more responsable and sensible approach calling them safety cameras ! www.garda.ie
Cheers  |
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galoubet
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 2:56 pm Post subject: Re: French speed traps |
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| Darren wrote: |
Precisely! The Gendarmerie deploy a good number of mobiles, often tripod mounted cameras on autoroutes with a car hidden close by.
Currently it's only when you get stopped by police or Gendarmes that a fine, and on the spot too, is likely. |
I think we are on a different wavelength here. By "mobiles" I meant vans with cameras like in the UK. But yes I've seen the binocular cameras on tripods but I don't know how they work. There's certainly no flash.
I've been caught speeding 3 times in France, the first time on my motorbike in 1969. But each time I've managed to talk my way out of a fine. By "talk" I mean "talk in English". I speak good French but somehow I can't speak a word when I'm apprehended!
Whatever the new regulations are it's going to make travelling round France that bit less enjoyable. |
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FrequentFlyer
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Joined: Jun 12, 2006
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Location: London
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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So how will you get caught ? 'Can I have a look ?...I need to have a look at your TT or CoPilot '
I got caught around 10 years ago when I was using a Snooper...as I drove into a service station with no way out. They confiscated it , gave me a receipt and said I could write in etc. etc. I made sure I broke the switch before handing it over. Rather than pick up an on the spot fine, I said they could forget it and keep it if they wanted, as I wasn't that impressed with the thing anyway. |
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pdfbt40
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Joined: Jan 23, 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 5:10 pm Post subject: Re: Re Cameras |
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| JohnDough wrote: | I notice in Ireland they have a more responsable and sensible approach calling them safety cameras ! www.garda.ie
Cheers |
I thought we (UK) did as well, even though its been proven, by their siting, not to be the case.
Our local partnership Surrey, has extended its remit to Antisocial Driving and parking. Made no difference around here to parking on bends/junctions/pavements etc.
And the County Council (part of the partnership) has announced it intends to make all current free parking bays such as around parades of local shops, pay and display, though they don't seem to have any problems. Could this be another cynical revenue stream from the motorist?
Martin |
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