Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Driving overseas!

Just noticed in another post a comment about rising fines in France for small motoring offences. Great advice for those going abroad this summer, so does anyone else have any tips. I myself got caught out in France a couple of years ago for not having a high vis jacket in the car, luckily I had a bright yellow jumper that convinced the Gendarme to go away happy.

So any advice welcomed!

speeding by less than 12mph will be 68euros, less than 38mph 1500 euros.Like I said, stop when it says stop even if you can see clearly. The signs warning of radar control are being removed. A satnav attached to the windscreen will be allowed but nothing else. Oh and don't wear a garment that covers your head and restricts your view (smile). Meabh

Sorry, that should read by more than 38mph. Apparently a second offence will mean jail. As to whether a foreign plate will get you off, I have heard of one English driver getting a nasty surprise on returning home. As I said there seems to be a lot of police activity at the moment in the Aveyron and it's normally a quiet place. Road traffic deaths in France are up 20% on last April which is the reason for this crackdown - or is it about revenue-no I didn't say that. Have a good holiday. Meabh.

Hi Meabh

You don't happen to be a Jaguar fan do you? And own an E Type?

Cheers

B

B, Love early E-Types but missed the boat.

Why? Because it broke down?

M,
As I understand it ( via at least French newspapers last week- but please forgive if my translation is not 100% accurate) current position is:
1. any excess speed more than 30mph over the prevailing limit will incur a fine of 3,750 euros and the car/bike impounded. see 3.

2. the offence has now been uprated to a serious crime, and punishable with up to five years in prison

3. the vehicle will be confiscated and sold for state funds

4. Any use of a mobile phone will incur a fine of 135 euros on the spot

5. Motorcyclists must from hereon wear a high viz jacket at all times

6. The alcohol limit has remained at 0.5 grammes, not reduced to 0.2 as thought

7.The request to reduce the maximum speed limit in town to 20mph has not been applied

G

Hi M & G,

Is it 30 mph over the limit or 30 kph?

Cheers
B

B,
Sorry to be a bit vague. I picked it up from le Figaro:
http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/...-les-routes.php
and I my translation was a bit 'on the spot'

But I guess if one is going to be logical, it must be 30 KPh in excess?

From the general tone of what was said it seems to be that the big 'driver' in al of this is drink-related driving accidents
G
PS presumably, there will be the same penalties if one exceeds the lower 'rain' speed limits by the same pecentage?

I'm not sure it is Babelfish to the rescue, but here is a part-translation of the article:
"First axis: the fight against the excess speeds. Aujourd' today infringment of 5th class, l' excess speed higher than 50 km/h becomes an offence as of the first infringement. The contravener, who s' currently expose to 1500 euros d' amends and 6 points in less, incurs from now on three months of prison, 3750 € d' amends, a loss of 6 points with obligatory confiscation of the vehicle. Another measurement taken to limit the excess speeds, l' prohibition of all the warning signals of radars. Goatskin bottles the detectors of radars, already prohibited, the Community warning signals of iCoyote type or Alarm GPS, proposed on the cellphones and the GPS, will be also illicit. The panels indicating the fixed presence of radars moreover will be removed and the charts of the apparatuses will not be made public any more. L' information on the positioning of the fixed radars encourages indeed certain drivers not to respect the regulation speeds qu' to their proximity, explains in a Matignon official statement, who announces moreover the deployment of 1000 new apparatuses d' here at the end of 2012. Of the mobile radars of new generation, allowing to control the speed of the users starting from vehicles, or semi-mobiles (removable to make safe for example zones of building sites) will be tested as of this year."

It seems that you were right initially and it is indeed 30 mph (circa 50 kph) over the limit. I do love Babelfish, not sure what 'goat-skin bottles' has to do with the detection of speed but hey...

The Aero-gang will have to be careful on the Cognac trip and we certainly won't have the Oreo as lead car!