ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Here I am in Bordeaux and it appears that my partner in crime got flashes by temporary speed trap. Doing 115kph in a 110 or maybe a 90 kph limit - hard to say with all the varying speed limit signs on that section of road

Anyhoo take it on the chin, but where and how? will we get stopped at the boarder in Calais or will it happen next time we go back to France (next year), or do we wait for a fine in the post?

I know loads of people ask these questions but everything I found on google is like five years old, I need to know what is the current procedure.

Any help TIA

billythekid

I dont think they ever managed to get the inter country fine system going - even though the law was changed to allow for it.

I think, as far as I know, unless you were stopped and fined, or stopped and they took your driving licence with the intention of fining you later then the chances of anything coming of it are very slim.

I have been flashed many, many, many times in France and never heard anything. I always try and stick to the limits - and in towns and villages I always do but I have found the motorways have random 90 zones with very little in the way of signs - most often just one single sign - so with the cruise set at 130 its very easy to waft into a speed trap well over the limit.

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

In feb 2011 I was stopped by a copper and had to pay cash. Was flashed in a 90 doing 160 and pooed myself. Sneaked on the ferry and have heard nothing since.

Read on the net that in jan this year England n France would share details but don't know if they have.

I was also told that they wait for you to return and bust you then... But I've sold the car

SirFozzalot

I got flashed once in France when a group of us were steaming back to catch the train. Never heard anything and I've been back twice since in the same car and not had any issues.

Just have to wait and see I guess.

c_maguire

Nothing will happen. I've been flashed numerous times by autoroute cameras in France (as they are grey and usually partly hidden, sometimes I get bored of looking for them). Unless it's a mobile trap and you get pulled by the car or bikes up the road you'll hear nothing. An exception may be doing some outrageous speed (say 140mph+) where they might try and collar you later but I haven't tried that yet. 120mph+ can get your car confiscated if they stop you.
Scandinavia is a different story. They did chase me up back here.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Cheers.

It was a mobile trap insome road works. The a63 is being upgraded over a 100km stretch and the speed limits are constantly going up and down

I'expect we'll get pulled on one of the tolls knowing my luck.

alistair

We travel in France a lot - I'm just south of Bordeaux again this week - as already stated, I've never had one follow me home. Unless they stop you at the time and take the money you should be ok.

One day I'm sure they will get it working, but so far, so good

As long as you're in a UK registered car that is - hire car fines will come and find you......

Leslie

Don't you think that doing 160 in a 90 section was taking the **** just a bit?

Les

Clarebabes

We have been to France every year for God knows how long as my parents have a house in Brittany. I have been flashed loads of times and nothing has happened, but we do poo ourselves when you see the bikes on bridges, means they're there to get you after an earlier speed trap. Even on toll roads we've gone faster than recommended and not had any problems.

corradoboy

I was flashed in May/June this year and have heard nothing. I was very well behaved the whole trip and kept my cool well given the awful standard of driving common in France, but when a guy almost touched my rear bumper as we were passing a slip exit, moved out and passed, then nearly took the front bumper off as he sliced back across to actually use the slip we were now almost past instead of just slowing a little and leaving behind me I saw red and lost track of my speed. Seconds later I got flashed as I passed under the bridge for the junction where this happened

stonejedi

iTrader: (51)

Don't lose sleep mate you won't hear nothing unless you live in France and the car is registered over there.

andy97

iTrader: (1)

Thoroughly recommend it

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

UK reg car. Usually do the jaunt in a spainish reg car, so a bit unfamiliar. Got flashed AGAIN today, fixed camera today, not me again - I was just about to say "going a bit fast" then flash.

So maybe it's just as well.. At this rate i Think it's my turn to get flashed now Knowing my luck I'll get done on the m25.

jods

I'm off to Arras in March - Convoy Style - Will Warn the drivers to keep the speed sensible.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Another thing I've since learned is now gps based camera warnings on sat navs is now illegal (radar detectors were already banned). I've got mine disabled anyway as its that inaccurate/out of date it's pointless.

My advice is keep a look out inthe 110 and 90 ( and below) limits, especially at the approach to tolls, junctions/cross roads on rural dual carriage ways and road works. And latch onto a local doing similar speed ( not too fast mind) and use them as heads up - if they slow down, you slow down. Works for me, didn't work for the other two drivers though

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

two points:

First off, you'll hear nowt.

Second, should she be driving at ALL? She's obviously NOT paying attention. ALL French speed cameras are signed beforehand, all you do when you see the sign is slow to the limit and look for the camera, then back up to whatever speed. The cameras are at roadside, grey, behind an armco and have black and yellow tape along the edges. Easy enough to spot.

Doesn't work for Mr le Flic with his laser glasses though.........

dpb

I've just set cruise to the speed limit, and ease off 20 when it's raining hard
Can't be bothered anything else, monsuier et madam was with their 6 kids in their people carriers desperate to get past can just wait

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

To be fair and in defence we are talking about two different drivers, one of which who although is a fair bit older, is generally an excellent driver (probably better than Pete, at least ). So observational awareness/vision at night vision on a unlit road isn't going to be as good as someone who is younger. Especially when its on a RHD car with the headlamps adapted for driving on the continent, which on this particular car generally makes them pretty poo when on dipped beam. Combined by being dazzled by oncomming drivers who are using high beam (I generally blind them back until they get the hint, but I wasn't driving ).

That said. I had driven for well over 3hours shortly beforehand; Including battling through Rouen in the middle of a funfair blocking the mainbridge over the River Seine with idiots parking in the middle of the road and gridlocking junctions (and I thought Paris was bad for traffic/driving). So if I was driving instead, my fatigue would have made my observation skills just as bad, if not worse, so I wouldn't have been safe to drive further with me behind the wheel.

Anyhoo, the mobile trap had no prior warning. The fixed one probably did, but unlit road and no "kick up" to the right doesn't make sign spotting so easy IMO, the camera was a rear facing one hidden behind a pillar to a bridge. Usually they are forward facing.

Still no excuse, I know...as I said, if they get fined or points, its no skin off my nose. Just need to know the 'correct' way of handling it, as if I recall it is usually cheaper if any fine is paid within xx amount of days. Sometimes its better to be honest than 'pretend' to be nieve.

So glad I replaced the wiper blades though, even though they are the incorrect ones. I had to race around a few hours before leaving to find some as when I drove it (first time for a months) to get some diesel I found they were knackered so vision at night was impossible as as anything lit caused the light to scatter and refract, even after cleaning/degreasing the screen and blades.

BMW specific aero-blades. Made by Bosch...would the universal Bosch Aero blades fit? Ha! No chance - same blade, different clips...I had to bodge the clips to get tem to fit, so they look crap, and I couldn't get a 25" blade so had to make do with a 24". But at least I could actually see when its raining.

dpb

Ha, yes can imagine that bridge in rush hour/ occasion, think we've managed to so far

richardg

i may have been flashed in belgium last week... we shall what what happens. been flashed in france in the past with any recourse

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

In the past i have been flashed everywhere on my way to croatia the route i take is, france, belgium, luxemburge, germany and austria sometimes, switzerland,italy,slovienia, never heard a dickie bird.

But since i heard about €250 cash on the spot fines, i stick to the speed limits everywhere, just not worth it for the small amount of time saved and the concentration required, as in constantly being on the look out for cameras and traps for 20hrs is a bit tiresome.

LEO-RS

Not France, but I was flashed in the Netherlands. They sent me a fine in the post, 140 EUR if I remember correctly. I ignored it, was written in Dutch and thought nothing of it. Ignored a further 2 with increasing fines each time.

Next time I arrived in Amsterdam, was flagged and then pulled by customs and put into a holding room until I had paid the fine, 450 EUR

Lesson learnt.

Leslie

Its easier, and cheaper to drive at the speed limits!

Les

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Ha, just came back through Rouen yesterday, got snarled up in that traffic, wife says, go in the outside lane, it's moving quicker, so I do.

except we get to a junction and I have to go straight on instead of being allowed to turn right........

So......out through Bois Guillaume, Bihorel, Quincampoix and Les Hautes Poiriers on the old N28, now D928, before finding the A28 again.....about 45 minutes lost

Luckily, I remembered a lot of it from YEARS ago.......

But what fekkin idiot decides to close a bridge, then route ALL the traffic going NE through a fekkin FUNFAIR?????????

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

LOL, you have my sympathies. Its a mess there.

I know which stretch you're on about; I was very tempted to use the left lane too and try and negate the back roads round, but after a vote, I stuck it out in the middle lane. As I knew I'd need a right lane at some point to get across the next bridge.

Even though you can turn right in teh middle lane, it was impossible due to the idiots at the crossroads blocking the junction. Turns out the right lane wasn't moving because the HGVs need two lanes to be able to make the right turn over the next bridge and nobody was giving way for them.

Then once over the bridge its still chaos as a lane is shut on the main road going out of Rouen.

Still took the best part of a hour for something that usually takes 10 minutes.

John was that peeved off he said if Iran want to test their new Nukes, they can test it here. What did amaze me, nobody blew there horns, bar one person. I thought it was customary in French tradition to treat the horn button like a toddler's toy.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Just looked at google traffic and it says all is well across the CLOSED bridge

Well, yeah, there ain't going be any traffic on there if its closed

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

I found that a) changing car from something that did 45+mpg to something that does 35mpg and b) leaving plenty of time both had a beneficial effect on how I approached French motorways. That & getting an auto-toll device which means that you re-overtook all the people that had raced past you at the tolls

I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to speed but getting stopped by French police is more effort that the time gain won. However, Irish speed camera vans I just cba with - 3AM on a wide empty road that is straight for 2 miles? Who is he kidding!

richardg

No news is good news....especially as I'm going back there in a few weeks

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

LOL, driving into Bellac one morning, VERY early, after an overnight run from Calais, I drove past a camera I KNEW was there, so shot it the finger as I went past.

I was then chagrined to see it go off and glance down to see I was doing 40 in a 30.....just getting light.

Never heard owt though....