Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Frogs with speed guns

I don't accept this to be true. Since the french got serious about cracking down on speeding, French motorists have become much more observant of speed limits. Good thing too; the fatality rates are way down on what they were.

Driving back home from the UK this evening down the (pretty empty) A16 Autoroute at about the 130km/hr limit most of the cars which went overtook me had UK plates. French police are inflexible and unforgiving to French motorists too, with on the spot loss of license for offences more than 30 km/hr over the limit.

This accusation about the french fuzz seems to crop up when events such as Le Mans or Le Mans Classic are on, and certain drivers seem to think that they have a God given right to blast through France at high speed. They then whine when Monsieur Plod nicks them.

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

""This accusation about the french fuzz seems to crop up when events such as Le Mans or Le Mans Classic are on, and certain drivers seem to think that they have a God given right to blast through France at high speed. They then whine when Monsieur Plod nicks them. ""

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Yes Giles I'm pretty sure we had the same topic on here around this time last year and maybe even the year before that .....

.....every year.

I have a book about French life published in 1972: it lists motoring fatalities at 14000. Sobering I think.

Indeed. Now down to under 3000, but it's still too many.

Not sure why people are so up in arms about it?

If you speed and get caught take it on the chin.

As for targeting just Brits? we have French friends whom have been do by the French Police for doing 4-5km over the posted limits.

Though the Police did explain to them that for that to happen they must have been travelling at 10kph+ over the indicated speeds and what was their excuse?

I have a Satnav that data logs (and no it does not have french speed cameras on it) if they said I was speeding I'd have evidence to prove it one way or another.

Most of these people in that article are not just speeding by 1 kph it's a fair bit more they don't really have a leg to stand on.

As for targeting super cars I wonder how many fines TopGear have had over the years? ;-)

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.

I disagree completely with the 20 mph speed limit near schools. Do parents not now teach children road safety? If it is a primary school, the children should be accompanied on the pavement and if it is a secondary school the children should be aware of the dangers. Bring back 30 mph in built-up areas.

PS What happened to the talked about 80 mph on motorways. Idiots kill, not speed. Rant over.

The book I mentioned is Cartier-Bressons France, by Francois Nourissier. Available on Amazon. A delightful and perceptive description of the French: a little dated but worth reading. Cars and the national psyche is interesting in itself.

A very interesting man in himself and a whizz photographer!

Bob, I think the 20 limits near schools is necessary now due to the number of schoolrun parents who cannot abide by the zigzag line rules (nor yellow lines), nor can they walk more than 2 yards to deliver 'little johnny' from car to school gate, thus making it more dangerous for all the others trying to find a safe crossing point...