Speeding Brits

[Motard]

Lots of people are disappointed that France is beginning to enforce speed limits. Living here I am very happy about this. Seeing someone doing 60mph through my village does not make me happy, when it is a tourist then that is even more annoying. My kids are out there so I have a right to be concerned.

Most of the people subscribing to threads relating to driving in France are Brits like myself so I address this to them.

As a nation we moan and groan and do nothing about it. We rant on about speed cameras, traffic wardens and police but we do little or nothing to change the status quo.
Now, if a large % of motorists wrote to the political parties and made it clear they would vote for the party who would change whatever, then things would change overnight.

I don't think there is any argument that the most important agenda for political parties is to stay in power so as voters we can, and should, use our power to dictate and influence policy.

Now, that said, what would we change? For me personally I would like to be able to drive at whatever speed I consider suitable. I would like to park wherever I choose whenever I choose. Any person either stealing or vandalising my car would be tortured, then hung, drawn and quartered, good old British tradition that.

However, I would not want the rest of the public to have the same privileges, they would remain as is.
In all honesty don't most of us feel this way?
So, what changes would you make? Maybe they would be more constructive and less selfish than my changes. Let's hear 'em!

Bob

 

[Guy]

News: 12 December 2003

French road deaths fall by 30% after enforcement campaign
Le Monde has reported a reduction in road deaths in France of 30% in November 2003 (compared to November 2002), due in part to a major campaign of road traffic enforcement and the setting up of automatic speed cameras. Source: ‘Forte baisse du nombre de tues sur les routes françes’. Le Monde, 4 December 2003.

 

[andy_k]

I'd lower the speed limit to 20 mph in certain areas and certain times of the day, certainly around schools and possibly in housing estates - certainly anywhere off what would be considered a "main road" in a built up area. A couple of the schools around here have this already set up and it works like a treat with accident figures cut by something like 95%.

I'd like to see a two tier system on the motorways dependent on conditions with the higher of the 2 set to 85 and the lower to 60 with more rigid enforcement. More areas of motorways with variable speed limits to keep traffic flowing.

Points for speeding on a sliding scale, 1 point for each 5 mph. Persistant offenders should have their licences revoked and be forced to take a new test (that one won't be popular but if people can't get their heads around matching the speed indicated on their speedo to those big signs at the side of the road then maybe they shouldn't really be driving)

I'd ban radar detectors in cars and other means of avoiding detection. All they do is allow people to drive faster in between cameras or in areas where the cameras aren't active. I'd love to see the stats for accidents attributed to this style of driving.

Car thieves/vandals should definitely be hung drawn and quartered or maybe tarred and feathered or their hands cut off.

Retests every 5 years for all drivers

I appreciate none of those are vote winners but it would in my opinion make the roads a better place to be

Abolish road tax and make it compulsory to display insurance and MOT details in car windscreens.

Ban sales of 4 wheel drive cars to people who only use them for the school run or going to the local supermarket or make driving them subject to a special licence which requires a seperate driving test - after all their popularity was achieved only because the American motor manufacturers neatly sidestepped all the safety factors applied to cars by classing them as trucks, so why not treat them as such?

Anyone who is caught using a non handsfree mobile phone in their car has it confiscated and destroyed.

As a thought - how long before we get satellite technology built into the cars that acts as an automatic speed limiter - I know they have trialled systems - sooner or later it will become a fact of life that we won't be able to speed.

Andy

 

[Guy]

Parliament has passed the legislation which will allow driving disqualifications of 6 months or more, passed in any member state, to apply across all EU countries.

As yet it hasn't been brought into force.

Link - go to sections 54 onwards

If I find out the date of implementation, I'll let you know.

 

[richy]

The Belgians seem to have a reasonable mix, do anything over 20Km over the limit and you kippered, so 140kmh is alright = reasonable.

Towns are a lowly 20kmh I agree with this by the way, kids just don't look when they're interested in something else.

You can pay a tax to use "reflective" plates = nice thought

Persistent speeders, next time you get caught you pay the current fine imposed plus double you last one , doubled if you have outstanding previous and any others less than three years old! Soon gets expensive even for guys with a lot of cash.

An old colleague was caught for the third time on the Antwerp ring 25km over the top within two years (125 in a 100) roughly that cost him £800 he explained it to me as folows

For the first one £100
For the second one ie double the first plus the current fine £300
For the third one double the first and second plus current £900

So three tickets for "minor " over the top cost him £1300 in all

Exponential or what ! And bloody complex to boot.

 

[Satch]

Oddly enough now we face the prospect of a huge rise in the number of speeding tickets issued we find a proposal to do away with the 3 point endorsement for "ordinary" speeding and just have a fine. Maybe Tony & crew could not stomach the prospect of going into an election with the nation grown full of of disgruntled/banned/uninsurable motorists.

It is all another depressing manifestation of the dull evil that an overregulated & hugely bloated Nanny state brings.

 

[mercedes lover]

!st of all I wish the government would free old people from there home by cleaning up the streeets of human rubbish. Make the streets safe for young people to walk home from school. Give people the rights to defend there home and family with out being treated as criminal.

2nd I would like all you good hard working people that have bought your cars, to be able to use them properly on the motorway which is proven to be the safest roads in the country. Unlike Motard I feel all you other people who work hard and drive round in your nice cars that keep the economy going nicely to be able to drive on the motorway as fast as you like with in reason. Eg take the speed limit off when the motorway is relatively free and put it on when busy, just like the varible speeds on M25.

3rd would like to say everyone goes on about how safe british roads are, the satistics showed that yes are roads are safest bar Sweden who has a lower death but the UK has more children run over and killed than any ohter country in the EU. Who shouts that out no one because it's not something to be proud of.

Last would like to say Motard blaming British drivers for being main people to speed through french villages, dont know where he lives because the village where my girl friends family live has loads of Brits drive through as there is a center parks up the road. I spoke to them about drivers and they said to me English drivers drive slow and more careful than french. I'v stayed in the village lots in the last 4 years being my girlfriend is french and wants to see her family, and the worst people i'v seen for speeding are young french boys with typicaly Renault Clios and Peugeot 106.

So all in all i stand by the brits on the driving front along with plenty of french people i'v met through out france.

Everyone who's worked hard to get there car well done you deserve to enjoy it.

 

[Motard]

Well said Andy_K. I agree Richy, Belgium does seem to have the right balance.
Mercedes lover, what can I say? Firstly my wishes were very tongue in cheek, I thought that was very obvious. Secondly I suggest you read my post again and try to find where I mentioned Brits speeding through villages. I did mention 'tourists', these include French drivers from other areas, we know by their number plates, didn't blame it on Brits.
However, there have been a lot of Brits, including yourself, that have made it clear they are not happy about the law being enforced here. This brings to mind the proverb about caps that may fit.

Bob

 

[Shude]

Oddly enough now we face the prospect of a huge rise in the number of speeding tickets issued we find a proposal to do away with the 3 point endorsement for "ordinary" speeding and just have a fine. Maybe Tony & crew could not stomach the prospect of going into an election with the nation grown full of of disgruntled/banned/uninsurable motorists.

If people get points, after so many they get banned. Banned driver's can't speed any more can they, if everyone gets banned goodbye revenue, so it makes sense to drop points off speeding, much more money for the Gov't.

 

[mercedes lover]

Well said Andy_K. I agree Richy, Belgium does seem to have the right balance.
Mercedes lover, what can I say? Firstly my wishes were very tongue in cheek, I thought that was very obvious. Secondly I suggest you read my post again and try to find where I mentioned Brits speeding through villages. I did mention 'tourists', these include French drivers from other areas, we know by their number plates, didn't blame it on Brits.
However, there have been a lot of Brits, including yourself, that have made it clear they are not happy about the law being enforced here. This brings to mind the proverb about caps that may fit.

Bob

Come on tourist from other areas. What departement do you live? Because where I saty is in department 41 and yes I know about the number plates, eg lots of 75 come into the village i stay and lots of people complain saying they dont like the parissians. As i said the worst people are the young people in the village who sit around then race through the village. Also I would say biggest risk in france is drink driving as every event i'v been to in france whereever it is more than 50% will drink drive and there is no shame in it there. Unlike in the uk where it is socially unexceptable there it isn't. You cant say it's not true. French wedding come out the church most people have drinks in the church hall, drive to reception. Have an 5 hour meal most the guests drink then drive off.

 

[kikkthecat]

Well Bob, you certainly made some interesting points there, I particularly like the torture thing, 'cos if I was in charge it would be policy tomorrow, along with public floggings.

As for my MP, he knows exactly how I feel, especially as every time I see this, or any government pick my pockets, he gets a letter. Not that it troubles him for one minute because he knows just as well as I do that in most areas people would vote for a clockwork chimp if it had the right colour rosette on. Most people would rather vote for a criminal than someone from another political party. The vast list of politicians who have proved themselves unfit for office and STILL got voted back in proves this.

As for motoring policy, I would like to see flexible speed limits, properly policed, not by cameras. For instance near where I live there is a school where the limit drops from 60 to 30 for 200 yards and a camera is there to enforce it, but it still enforces it at 3-00am, utter nonsense but a nice source of revenue.

I'd like to see driving licences have compulsory photo ID on and a test to be retaken every 5/10 years.

I also find it ridiculous that anyone including teenagers can have a few hours tuition, pass a test and jump into anything up to and including a Mercedes SLR, with the only restriction on what can be driven being financial. New drivers should be limited to a certain power level for a specified period as they are with bikes. That said I do know that a friend of mine has a son who just passed his test and for the first two years he only has to accrue 6 points to get a ban as opposed to the 12 I am allowed

Oh and one last thing, I'd like to see something along the lines of the tax disc in the windscreen that proves the car is insured, and any car caught without would be confiscated and crushed, and the driver severely punished.

Looks like we're back to the torture and flogging now though....

 

[Shude]

I also find it ridiculous that anyone including teenagers can have a few hours tuition, pass a test and jump into anything up to and including a Mercedes SLR, with the only restriction on what can be driven being financial.

The first car I drove after passing my driving test at the age of 17 was my dad's BMW, company car insurance covered "anyone with permission" so there wasn't even a financial restriction . Frightening really.

 

[Motard]

Come on tourist from other areas. What departement do you live?

Are you implying that I am telling lies? I find that really offensive. May I suggest you read my posts a couple of times before responding as you certainly misunderstand them.
I understand that English is not your first language, please take a little more care.

Bob

 

[mercedes lover]

Come on tourist from other areas. What departement do you live?

Are you implying that I am telling lies? I find that really offensive. May I suggest you read my posts a couple of times before responding as you certainly misunderstand them.
I understand that English is not your first language, please take a little more care.

Bob

Take care yourself what makes you think English isn't my first langauge. Can take what I said how you like but this rubbish your telling everyone isn't the france I know and spend alot of time in. English not my first language, what do you think is my first?

 

[mercedes lover]

Come on tourist from other areas. What departement do you live?

Are you implying that I am telling lies? I find that really offensive. May I suggest you read my posts a couple of times before responding as you certainly misunderstand them.
I understand that English is not your first language, please take a little more care.

Bob

If i'm right you live in departemnt 34, do you speak any french and have french friends or just speak English and stick to your own?

 

[Motard]

Take care yourself what makes you think English isn't my first langauge. Can take what I said how you like but this rubbish your telling everyone isn't the france I know and spend alot of time in. English not my first language, what do you think is my first?

What 'rubbish' specifically? Whenever you respond to one of my posts it is clear you haven't understood it. You even implied that I was defending French drivers after my saying the standard was abysmal.
I asked you to take care because I really don't want you to be offensive.
I just had a look at all my posts about France, can't find anything erroneous but I do try to help. Maybe you should take over as the main source of info about France.
Sorry if English is in fact your first language, I was trying to find a good reason for you implying that I lie.
This forum is a very friendly one, let's both try to keep it that way.

Bob

 

[Shude]

This forum is a very friendly one, let's both try to keep it that way.

^^^ What he said, let's keep it pleasant chaps

 

[mercedes lover]

What 'rubbish' specifically? Whenever you respond to one of my posts it is clear you haven't understood it. You even implied that I was defending French drivers after my saying the standard was abysmal.
I asked you to take care because I really don't want you to be offensive.
I just had a look at all my posts about France, can't find anything erroneous but I do try to help. Maybe you should take over as the main source of info about France.
Sorry if English is in fact your first language, I was trying to find a good reason for you implying that I lie.
This forum is a very friendly one, let's both try to keep it that way.

Bob

Ok ok ok off to a bad start. But to be honest been over a hell of alot of france and is very different, police are different people are different, north center nad south are very different. When I went to Narbonne was completely different to Orleans or calais in all aspects. Was just saying you cant generalise for the whole country. Have nothing againt you i'm sure you like france just as much as me if not more being you chose to live there!

 

[Motard]

Again, please read my posts, I don't generalise. I always make it clear I only speak from my experiences generally in my area. When I mention other areas I make the source clear, TV etc. Let's knock this on the head now OK?

Bob

 

[mercedes lover]

Not that it matters but I do speak French. I have no wish to continue any dialogue with you so don't bother writing to me anymore.

Bob

Suit your self BOB, if you want to go off & sulk. And good luck with filling other forum users heads with cr*p about france.
Bye