jhrfc1

Just got back from France in the car minus my Bel detector.
I knew they where illegal in France so I hid it right under the seat and didn't use it (I really didn't!).
Anyway on the motorway north of Paris I spot a marked Gendarmes car, I'm not going very fast (one of the few times I wasn't), so i think no problem.
To cut a long story short, he stops me, asks to see my papers etc, and then says "i'm looking for a radar detector, with a car like this from england it's obvious you've got one"
Before I know what I'm doing I say "No I haven't got one, I know they're illegal in France".
He then searches the car VERY thourghly and finds the detector.
I say I'm sorry, but I really haven't used it in France. He holds it to his face and says he belives me because the unit is not hot.
He then says he will have to confiscate it and call the prosecutor about what fine to give me, (probably 350-1000 euros!)
Then, much looking about the engine bay ensues while he is looking for a zapper.
I'm starting to feel rather upset about this, then all of a sudden he calls me over to one side, gives me the detector, tells me to go and put it in the bin. I'm then told to drive off and he watches me, but no fine or paperwork.
I shall be replacing it with a new road angel, but will defintely leave it at home next time.
Make sure you do the same, especially if you've got an LRC100, I got the impression they really don't like those.

PS He told me he was the sixth english car he'd caught that weekend with e detector, so maybe he just didn't want any more paperwork!

Superloop

Nightmare mate

However - in this country didn't think the police can just search you car without good reason.

Think they have to arrest you and get a judge to sign a bit of paper as per searching your house before they can. As France is in EU would have thought they would have similar rules.

HOWEVER (Ducks the barrage of no thats bo**ox posts) i may be totally wrong.

And it not being there and letting em have a look probably makes the experience go away quicker

jk100

Exactly the same thing happened to me, coming back from Le Mans. It was hidden in the boot, but I also got a €450 fine plus confiscation of my Valentine One (£599). (Le Mans is probably the biggest money spinner for the Gendarmes). It strikes me as incredible that these things can be widely sold in the UK (e.g. Halfords) but are so offensive that even ownership of them is forbidden in France, with a fine higher than if I was caught with cannabis.

Anyway, don't expect much sympathy from those who take the moral high ground (laws are laws etc...) on this forum!!

supertouring

So it is illegal to own one, let alone use one in France? Does this include GPS device? I would have thought that as a tourist, having one in your boot for use at home or other european country would be OK? Are all European countries like this?

Brendan Hughes

Turn your argument round - imagine it was cannabis in a Dutch car? The Dutch police wouldn't bother looking for it, but the French would probably find it highly offensive and fine you.

What's legal in one country (and let's face it, detectors are on dodgy ground in the UK) doesn't have to be legal in another.

Superloop, the French (and in fact most Europeans) have totally different police, evidence and judicial laws/powers than the Brits.

Sorry mate - there are many stories of this. Put it down to expensive experience.

Claudius

So you got stopped in France with a radar detector, got no fine (8,600 EUR max fine), and they let you keep the detector?

STi-Frenchie

The ONLY legal radar "detector" in France at the moment is InfoRad which is a 99€ GPS device which alerts you to the presence of fixed radars. This has only just been allowed (since 1 September I believe).

The penalties for radar detectors/jammers can be a fine up to 1500€, 2 penalty points, and confiscation of the vehicle. There are currently 150 fixed radars in France but their plan is to have 1000 by the end of 2005.

Moral of the story is not to bring detectors and jammers anywhere near the place as they REALLY are not amused.

BTW, do any of the Swiss Scoobynetters know if InfoRad is legal in Switzerland ? The InfoRad website is a bit vague saying that purchasers should check the laws of their country to see if it can be used legally.

STi-Frenchie

TelBoy

Does this mean that in France the authorities are happy to admit that the cameras are money-spinners, or is this recent development some sort of token measure to try to convince French drivers that they don't mind motorists knowing where the "accident blackspots" are?

Dracoro

Hang on, was he secretly telling you to drive off, wait for him to go then drive back and grab your detector out the bin?

Brendan Hughes

Nah - he grabs it out of the bin and gives it, along with the other 20, to Jean-Claude in London to advertise in Loot at £50 each...

Claudius

The location of the fixed speed cameras are known and maps have been published. On French online route planners, the radar locations are mentioned. The government does not strictly speaking admit that the cameras are revenue generators, but they have changed the law so that you automatically get the fine in the mail 48 hours after being flashed, so it is pretty obvious that it is...

MarvSTi5

Mate of mine (Scooby66 on here - Paul) got stopped on the way back from Le Mans this year as well. He had his confiscated and they escorted him to a bank for him to pay a E750 fine !!

Didn't seem to mind the fact we were doing 140mph !!

chris's scooby

You don't need a detactor in France, as long as you don't speed too much within 20 miles of the cities they probably won't bother to stop you anyway!

pslewis

I have always found it hilarious people spending good money on detectors

If you keep 'roughly' to the speed limit theres no need to get a detector - or a speeding fine for that matter!

I simply cannot see what all the fuss is about!?

Pete

STi-Frenchie

Yeah, yeah, let he who is without sin cast the first stone and all that. Trying to ruin another thread with your wind ups Pete ? No thanks matey.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

To be fair to Pete, I don't see the point either!

ajm

I don't begrudge the fact that the French have come up with a daft law, that's their business, but what I find offensive is that they see fit to victimise British cars in the hope they may be ignorant about the detector laws. So he caught 6 people with detectors, but how many British people were stopped in total???

Maybe we should start stopping all French vehicles in case they have pepper spray or some other item legal in France and not in the UK? To my mind it symbolises the reason we have been fighting these petty, stubborn people for the last 700 years!

2000TLondon

Sorry to hear about that, but thought it was common knowledge...

Didn't he mean "put it in the bin" as in "put it in your pocket when you are pretending to put it in the bin?"


They should really have a warning at Calais for this. I've never had a detector and I've got a clean licence.

Can you claim on travel insurance, it technically is lost or stolen abroad....

Brendan Hughes

Erm, don't travel insurance want proof that you reported the loss to the police? I see a flaw here.

ajm

Isn't the fact that he no longer has his detector proof enough that the police "know about it"?