That was the butt of my point.
At this time of year a petrol fuelled shooting-fish-in-a-barrel moment occurs as the french are provided with a ready stream of people in a rush to break the law. Not just from the UK, its just that our general approach to the limit in the UK is different.
We in the UK have a more "flexible/generous approach" to the limit with our police, who are permitted to consider style/conditions/traffic and make a decision. The mobile speed guns on the other hand are digital like the french approach. I happen to like the approach taken by the UK police in applying human factors to the situation.
86 on a clear dry motorway with no traffic gets a blue light flashed at me and a finger waggle, I slow down and adjust with respect for their attitude. 28mph with hard acceleration near a school in a narrow village gets you busted for dangerous driving. Mk1 Human Noodle.
As Giles outlines. It has nothing to do with the french polices attitude to the British - it is the cannon fodder crying oh-woe-is-me after the event. The French position is to enforce the number, it is the national approach. We are not used to it and so walk into it with our natural X+10% attitude. Added to the excitement of going to a petrol religious festival. Probably with friends. Speed creep waiting to happen.
I do not mean to comment on the other issues raised about some stopping UK plate cars, or daft "must drive wearing a haz-mat jacket" rules.
The on-the-spot-fine UK comment above did come as a surprise to me.
I am still not retiring the V8 and buying a Nissan Leaf.
