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lesmarsh
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 Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:55 pm Post subject: Sat-navs in France |
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In yesterdays (10/3/2007) Daily Telegraph motoring section (Honest John) there was a letter from a reader to warn readers that the French police "are getting really funny about sat-navs that are pre-loaded with speed camera locations.... and the police can fine you £1,000.00 and confiscate your car"
Does anyone know if this is true? I have a Garmin i3 sat-nav and have upgraded its maps to include France; is it legal to use it in France? |
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classy56
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| Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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No it's not illegal to use sat-nav in france.
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classy56
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| Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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| classy56 wrote: | | No it's not illegal to use sat-nav in france. |
Sorry that should be yes it is legal to use a satnav in France, and as far as I am aware there is no law against having a speed camera database loaded.
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Border_Collie
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Joined: Feb 01, 2006
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Location: Rainham, Kent. England.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:18 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | there was a letter from a reader to warn readers that the French police "are getting really funny about sat-navs that are pre-loaded with speed camera locations.... |
Having the speed cameras on the Sat Nav in France is open to question.
Several months ago I mentioned that my French friend, born and bred in France, had told me it was 'Forbid' to have cameras installed.
Howver, there is an English PGPSW member who lives in Nice and he said he had made enquiries and was told by the Police it was OK.
I checked again with my friend and he had made enquiries and was told 'You are not allowed to use any device in France which indicates the position of cameras'
This was different to the original where it was said 'any device which detects the position of cameras'. Which sat navs don't.
But now the word is indicates, which a sat nav does.
Just to add to the confusion, you can purchase maps in France showing the position of the cameras. The maps indicate their position but a map is not a device, so they are OK.
I may have received the wrong information from my friend, if the police in Lille gave him incorrect information, but there are stories of Brits having their Device confiscated and receiving a heavy fine, even to the point of being escorted to a cash point to pay the fine.
Personally I don't have any cameras on my French map, better safe than sorry.
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classy56
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:06 am Post subject: |
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I must admit that the view is very confusing.
But I know it is not illegal to have a satnav.
I have had two checks by the French police in the last two months, and both times my TT was in full view and switched on, now if you know how the French police behave towards English coach drivers you will understand that if there was any question it was illegal they would have taken action.
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MaFt
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Joined: Aug 31, 2005
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Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:39 am Post subject: |
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i really dont like the idea of it being illegal to know where cameras are / could be... it points out that their reasons for the cameras is to make money.
i know th euk make a lot of money from cameras but they have always said that they are for safety and their stance on sat-navs indicating where cameras are / could be has always been "yeah that's fine, we want people to know where they are so they drive safely in black spot areas". detecting cameras IS another issue though...
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Border_Collie
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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I think the main difference between the French police and ours is they actually want to stop speeding rather than making money from it.
Generally, in England, I am often overtaken when travelling on a motorway at 70mph. Apart from the odd 'nutter', most of the vehicles are probably only doing 80-85.
In France I always travel at 130kph (80mph'ish) on the Autoroutes but those exceeding the limit are quite often going like a 'bat out of hell'. Some Brits are usually guilty of this on route home to the boats or train, maybe because they are running late, but the worst offenders are those showing a CH or B badge.
Sat Navs are quite legal in France, the confusion is whether having cameras installed is or not.
Without having written confirmation, one way or the other, from a French legal source, I have the choice of accepting the information which was relayed by the Nice or Lille police. They can't both be right.
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classy56
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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Was this topic not discussed in a previous thread and an official letter was posted laying out the legal position? or did I dream it? 8O
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Border_Collie
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Was this topic not discussed in a previous thread and an official letter was posted laying out the legal position? or did I dream it? |
It was discussed at some length but I can't remember it being resolved one way or the other.
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philpugh
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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Can't find the thread at present but the concensus was that it was OK to have a speed camera database. One of the reasons quoted is that you can (apparently) buy paper maps in France showing the cameras. The original thread linked to a french site where you could download a file with the information for loading into several popular nav systems - just like our own database!
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philpugh
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Border_Collie
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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It appears it could be legal after all.
See HERE
Last updated September 2006.
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