Speeding in France warning! Roll On Brexit!

[rf065]

Just be aware if you holiday in France, yesterday I received a letter with a French postmark informing me that on 1st October 2018 at 16.30pm, on the A75 between Millau & Montpellier, I was caught on a speed camera doing 88kph in an 80kph limit.

In full context though, let's not forget that Macron a month or so before had reduced every 90kph road in France to 80kph, but without the resources to actually alter any speed limit signs to show the new limit.
The camera itself was on a long downhill section where the only way to keep below the new reduced limit would require you to keep your foot on the brake. And this isn't UK roads, this is from high up in the Massive Central (3C in mid afternoon) heading downwards towards sea level on the Mediterranean! (21C- 2 hours later in the evening)

Ironically, the "yellow jackets" started their protests the weekend we returned to the UK which involved spraying all the speed camera lenses with yellow paint rendering them all useless and vandalising the toll booths on the Autoroutes ensuring all the toll roads were now free! Solidarity my friends, but why did you not start the month before?

To summerise, as the cameras are all out of order & the tolls are in flames, I suspect the French are going through historic offences that may have been deemed unworthy of chasing at the time but are now being used to generate income they have lost elsewhere, why else chase a fine for an offence committed 6 months ago?

 

[Eddy77]

Bloody hell....I’ve been flashed a few times over the last few years! Could be interesting!! Wonder if it’s enforceable?!

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Is that the wonderful road down through the vineyards?

I loved that route in my old 5 series, baked the brake pads.

 

[jdrrco]

The speed limits were reduced in July 2018, not September. The move was widely advertised and reported at the time and, certainly by September, when we went for our annual pilgrimage, all the 90km/h signs on the routes we use had been removed.

Surely before travelling in any country abroad, one would check that nothing has changed since last visiting.

Pay the money and be more careful next time.

 

[m2287]

The speed limits were reduced in July 2018, not September. The move was widely advertised and reported at the time and, certainly by September, when we went for our annual pilgrimage, all the 90km/h signs on the routes we use had been removed.

Surely before travelling in any country abroad, one would check that nothing has changed since last visiting.

Pay the money and be more careful next time.

Ah yes, next time I go on holiday I must ensure the speed limit signs are all up to date...

 

[gaz_l]

Pop a jobby in the envelope (doesn't have to be one of yours, any will do), write NON! in big letters on the outside and send it back.

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[jaymanek]

You received a fine on English plates? Never ever heard of anyone on UK plates getting a fine.
I have friends that fly through the cameras setting them off on the way to alps and never had one.

I, on the other hand, regularly pay my 45 EUR award fee, as my Swiss rental car company do provide details to ze French..

 

[jdrrco]

Ah yes, next time I go on holiday I must ensure the speed limit signs are all up to date...

D'uh. Don't be obtuse. Better to keep quiet and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.

As was obvious from my post, I check what the rules are before I set off. Call me old fashioned, but I don't just assume that the world is exactly the same as it was at whatever random point I last visited.

 

[clk320x]

Edit

 

[gramey]

I doubt it can be enforced over here, the problem will arise should you back in the same car as they may place a marker on it which could result in you getting stopped, your car seized and trip to the local court where they will request that you pay the outstanding fine, in a nice way.

 

[rf065]

The speed limits were reduced in July 2018, not September. The move was widely advertised and reported at the time and, certainly by September, when we went for our annual pilgrimage, all the 90km/h signs on the routes we use had been removed.

Surely before travelling in any country abroad, one would check that nothing has changed since last visiting.

Pay the money and be more careful next time.

I actually said a month or so, but thanks for being so exact, and also said this was a long downhill section requiring constant braking to keep below the speed limit. I can also confirm that from Calais to Narbonne every 90kph speed limit sign was still in place & none had been replaced by 80kph signs. If you think a country the size of France can replace every single 90kph sign for an 80kph sign in such a short time in only a matter of weeks your obviously as nuts as Macron!

 

[jdrrco]

I actually said a month or so, but thanks for being so exact, and also said this was a long downhill section requiring constant braking to keep below the speed limit. I can also confirm that from Calais to Narbonne every 90kph speed limit sign was still in place & none had been replaced by 80kph signs. If you think a country the size of France can replace every single 90kph sign for an 80kph sign in such a short time in only a matter of weeks your obviously as nuts as Macron!

However, you suggest that they did manage to recalibrate every speed camera in that time...

July to October is one third of a year, not a month or so.

Instead of mastering your claimed encyclopaedic knowledge of every 90km/h sign between Calais and Narbonne, I was suggesting that your time could have been better spent checking the road laws for the country on the internet. It would have taken you much less time. Clearly you chose the former. Your choice, but look how it turned out.

Speeding downhill is speeding, no matter which country you are in.

Victim mentality. You got caught. Suck it up!

 

[rf065]

However, you suggest that they did manage to recalibrate every speed camera in that time...

July to October is one third of a year, not a month or so.

Speeding downhill is speeding, no matter which country you are in.

Victim mentality. You got caught. Suck it up!

I never said or insinuated anything you've just posted, are you related to Macron? Or can you not read a post and understand it?

 

[rf065]

You received a fine on English plates? Never ever heard of anyone on UK plates getting a fine.
I have friends that fly through the cameras setting them off on the way to alps and never had one.

I, on the other hand, regularly pay my 45 EUR award fee, as my Swiss rental car company do provide details to ze French..

Apparently the UK recently signed up to an EU directive that allows the French to pursue UK motorists but due to different laws regarding who is responsible, i.e registered keeper or driver, the UK will not pursue anyone from France speeding in the UK! (45Euros if paid within 15days, 68 Euros or 180 Euros depending on how long you prolong it!)

 

[E53AMG]

You could try sending them a £45 billion bill in return for liberating them in WW2 ;-).

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[jaymanek]

Apparently the UK recently signed up to an EU directive that allows the French to pursue UK motorists but due to different laws regarding who is responsible, i.e registered keeper or driver, the UK will not pursue anyone from France speeding in the UK! (45Euros if paid within 15days, 68 Euros or 180 Euros depending on how long you prolong it!)

Wow will have to be more careful when we drive over..

 

[renault12ts]

I actually said a month or so, but thanks for being so exact, and also said this was a long downhill section requiring constant braking to keep below the speed limit. I can also confirm that from Calais to Narbonne every 90kph speed limit sign was still in place & none had been replaced by 80kph signs. If you think a country the size of France can replace every single 90kph sign for an 80kph sign in such a short time in only a matter of weeks your obviously as nuts as Macron!

If true...then this is unenforceable...end of.

 

[renault12ts]

However, you suggest that they did manage to recalibrate every speed camera in that time...

July to October is one third of a year, not a month or so.

Instead of mastering your claimed encyclopaedic knowledge of every 90km/h sign between Calais and Narbonne, I was suggesting that your time could have been better spent checking the road laws for the country on the internet. It would have taken you much less time. Clearly you chose the former. Your choice, but look how it turned out.

Speeding downhill is speeding, no matter which country you are in.

Victim mentality. You got caught. Suck it up!

Nonsense...if the sign says 90 then it is 90...no ifs, no buts. Think about it.

 

[jdrrco]

OK, enough of this nonsense.

The change took place on July 1st, over four months BEFORE the OP's offence.

The vast majority of the 11,000 90kmh signs across the country had either been replaced, removed or covered up BEFORE the change even took place.

Only one department - Nouvelle-Aquitaine - refused to change their road signs. This was in protest at the change. However, by October, they too had acquiesced and replaced ALL of their signs.

ALL of the others had been replaced within two weeks of the change taking effect (ie at least THREE MONTHS before the OP set tyre in the country).

The 1,800 speed cameras on former 90kmh roads were recalibrated by September to ensure that the very situation the OP claims to have been caught out by was IMPOSSIBLE.

The OP's claim, therefore, that EVERY sign between Calais and Narbonne was still in place in October is clearly utter tosh.

I rest my case.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

The new speed limits were very well publicised at the time.