eliot

I'm going to France for New Year and need to know whether i need to put the tinted sections on my headlights, what the speed limits are and can they be broken!! and if you get pulled over what can happen - are the police good, bad or just ugly!! and can you be prosecuted? Also, is there anything else I should know (sensible answers relating to this topic please

All advice will be helpful - unless we go back to the
TT vs Impreza debate! - only joking.

Thanks in advance.

Eliot

RiMo

Popped to France the other weekend and checked what I needed to be aware of with my ins. co.. They told me all I needed was a warning triangle and headlamp adjusters. I would also recommend carrying a full set of spare bulbs just incase you run into any moody coppers

Well worth giving your insurance guys a call as mine sent me details on recovery numbers etc.

[Edited by RiMo - 12/18/2001 4:35:56 PM]

chuckster

I believe they have the power to take your license away on the spot if you are caught exceeding the speed limit by a certain amount. Then you need to have your car recovered back to England if you don't have an insured co-driver.
Also speed camera detectors are illegal and will be confiscated on the spot, along with a nice big fine that needs to be paid immediately, they will escort you to the nearest cashpoint to help.
Basically going to France isn't a license to drive like a loon with no fear of repercussion.
On the other hand the roads are relatively uncrowded and of good quality, so enjoy!
Regards
Chuck
Dang spelling innit?

[Edited by chuckster - 12/18/2001 4:54:59 PM]

PaulMorrison

The gendarme are know to beat speeders up and do nasty things with their cars. i.e crushing them!

PaulMorrison

No seriously, I popped over to France last week and most people were going faster than me. When the speed limit sign says 130 don't get too eager as the signs are in kph , read the inside ring of your speedo. Overtake on the left BTW or you just look silly. Also I have morette headlamps and I wasn't asked to put anything on them. You also need a GB sticker if you haven't got a new style EU numberplate.

Yex

Chuckster is right about the "taking to a cash point" routine. My vet was caught at an excessive speed in his Tuscan Speed 6 and taken to a cash point where he could not draw out enough money to pay the fine - he was also charged with using a radar detector so the fine was rather large

He had his car impounded, resulting in a hotel bill, and had to draw the balance out the next day. He also had his license revoked and his brother had to come to the town in France and drive the car home. As far as I am aware he is still waiting for the prosecution to call him back for any trial they have in mind and has been warned that the fine may be around the £3000 level

General rule of thumb is that speeding results in a reasonable on the spot fine, silly speeding is VERY expensive and using a radar detector costs a bloody fortune

Have a safe trip

Yex

Jerome

The more I hear about these french traffic Police, the more determined I am to never drive in France. Most Frenchies doing silly things here in the UK get let off because the paperwork is too much hassle. We go there and they throw the book at us. I bet the locals don't get treated as harshly. All the thanks we get for saving their country twice.

boomer

...and when Tony (soon to be President of the EU) Blair gets the European Arrest Warrant fiddled through Parliament, we can also look forward to being forceably taken back to France to pay any outstanding parking fines, GATSO pictures, treading on the cracks in the pavement!!

Isn't life (going to be) fun?

mb

drumsterphil

iTrader: (1)

France - best place I've driven/ridden. Two years ago took the GSXR to france for a trip down to the Alps. Autoroutes were dead quiet, saw 1 police car in 1000 miles and the road surfaces were so good that silly speeds (REALLY silly speeds) were easy. And then we got to the Alps - heaven and then some.......

As long as you don't take the ****, respect town limits and generally behave reasonably then you'll have a great time. And I found all the drivers really courteous as well (although I stand to be corrected on this last point).

Have a blast and enjoy it!

DP.

Dave P

I need a green card with my insurance co, don't get automatic cover.

The petrol in the service stations is not overpriced to the extent ours are.

The food in the service stations is very reasonable and of quite good value.

I normally stick at about 100mph, went down one year and was about to scoot past a couple of Gendarmes on motorbikes (short sleeve shirts) at about 120, but just sat behind them and followed them for about 45 minutes at about 100.

It is said that on the toll routes they can time you between tolls, but I have never been fined. Normally take a short break for the kids to go to the loo though so this will drop average speed.

Warning triangles are a legal requirement as are a set of spare bulbs. I think technically if you wear glasses a spare set of glasses is a requirement.

I Bluetac my GB sticker to the inside of the rear window to save the paintwork.

I don't bother with the headlights.

There are no cats eyes seperating the lanes in France which can be a little disconcerting, especially at speed.

Be wary all the same.

Dave

eliot

Thank you to everyone for the helpful hints.
I'm gonna have three other people in the car, so i won't be driving at silly speeds, i just wanted to know the form.
Thanks again.
Eliot

healeyb

The police in France are all corrupt so just bung them a backhander if you get stopped, not that they'll be able to catch your scooby in a peugeot. I always drive as fast as I like when in France. And don't worry about the headlight adjusters, they all wear sunglasses all the time trying to look cool. Not!

ChristianR

iTrader: (1)

what makes me a laugh in france is, that u r crusin along in the "slow lane" at the speed limit, well 70mph or something, and then u get this crappy cars which look like they are going to fall apart screaming past you are over 100mph!

[Edited by ChristianR - 12/19/2001 11:49:33 AM]

The_Gza

Petrol in the town centres and at the Hypermarkets is a lot cheaper than the Service Stations Also far less of a difference between the prices of normal UL and SUL than back home.

Something else I noticed is that if they want past you in the outside lane of the Autoroute they tend to leave their indicators on - quite effective for moving locals out of the road