Patricia Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I have received an email from TomTom today with this title. When I opened the link it was all about the new Danger Zones for France. This was welcome news as I start back to the UK next week and was hoping to update my Go 720 before setting off. However as far as I can make out my sat nav is not updatable according to the list but on my Home update page there is a Premuim Speed Cameras France which can be downloaded free! As Speed Camera warnings are illegal in France, I am confused! Should I download this or not? Anyone know the answer please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Assuming you do a lot of your driving in France it would seem a good idea to me not to download it, it's not essential to have it. After all, a sat-nav is basically for navigation - so it does its' job without camera warnings. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klyne Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Patricia My understanding that the new 'Danger Zones' are allowed but individual speed camera data is not. Not quite sure what the difference is but suspect you get warned when you are entering an area where there may be speed cameras so you have to be careful over a greater distance. If you use Tom Tom home to up date your device its easy enough to remove the speed camera data as its just a POI. Do you really need any warning of speed camaras? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Patricia I've looked at the Tom Tom discussion website and I'm glad I've got a Garmin sat-nav!! As you know, devices that alert drivers travelling in France to the exact location of French speed-cameras are now prohibited. A limp-wristed side-stepping approach has been agreed by the French authorities however, permitting devices to be used that provide less exact 'Danger Zone' alerts, where the 'danger zone' warning does not say "There's a speed-camera here" and, even when a speed-camera is somewhere within the danger zone, the camera's exact location is not identified. It would seem from Tom Tom's website that certain of their sat-navs can be updated to provide 'danger zone' alerts, but you say your Go 720 cannot. This leaves the question as to what will happen if you attempt the free Premium Speed Cameras France download apparently being offered on your Home update page. My understanding (from Tom Tom's website) is that the Premium Speed Cameras service now longer applies to France, so either nothing may happen or you end up with a Danger Zone update that Tom Tom has now made compatible with a Go 720. 1. You could ask Tom Tom (and the best of luck!) http://discussions.tomtom.com/t5/tag/%20speed%20camera/tg-p/category-id/Welcome 2. or try the free download (which I would guess won't do any harm) and see what happens 3. or do nothing and just deselect the safety-camera alerts feature until you get back to the UK. It would appear that just deselecting a sat-nav's speed-camera alerts feature is considered by sat-nav manufactuers to comply with the revised French regulations, and who am I to argue? Evidently the French police have no legal authority to access the software/data files of a sat-nav to check the device's capabilities and, even if a police check were carried out at a speed-camera site where it might be expected that a sat-nav capable of providing 'exact location' alerts would be doing so, if the device's alerts feature has been deselected no alerts will be appearing. I think it's a badly worded law and can't be policed. In any case, switching off a sat-nav's alerts feature means that no exact camera location or vague 'danger zone' warnings will be provided to a driver, which was the objective of the original French regulation proposal before it was watered down into its present ambiguous form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Thank you for your replies. I removed the French speed camera warnings some time ago and was waiting for this danger zone update. Anyway, I thought I would give this premium alerts update a go to see if it would show the danger zones and, if it put the old alerts back on, I would just remove them again. Found I could not do this as I had to sign in to my account first. Tried to do this but it will not let me in so I am awaiting further instructions. What a waste of time!! I should mention that when I first connected my device today it automatically updated the "Home" on my computer. Whether this has caused the problem I don't know but I have never had a problem logging in before. Thank you Derek - I will investigate that site later. Edit: Have received password reminder link but it doesn't work even when copied and pasted in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suntrecker38 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Hi If you read The AA European Driver's Handbook you will see that most if not all European countries ban the use of a GPS witch have fixed speed cameras Poi's or deactivated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 my tomtom tells me mine remove french speed cameras and added safety alerts, or such like, couple of days ago, this was for via125, got to say tomtom interface on pute is crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwyn Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 When I plugged in my tom tom to update, it looked like it has automatically taken the traffic cameras off from the countries where it is illegal, will need to wait till we're in France to check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 I eventually managed to log on and downloaded the French Premium camera file hoping it would be the danger zones but I don't think it was. I will have to wait till I go out on the road. Then I thought I would contact TomTom to find out if they will have a download for the Go 720 but to do this you have to log on again and no way would it let me do this! Then the website froze so I gave up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Just finished updating my GO720. The download is supposed to be the new danger zone and legal version. The software update was not to update 'Home' but to update the last Navcore update that had a 'third party' bug that pushed the 'Quick Fix' data program out by one day due to the leap year extra day being ommitted from the database, this caused the problem that the satellites could not be located resulting in some (many by all accounts including mine) not to be able to get a GPS fix. I also had lots of problems earlier this evening trying to log on to my account to check for 'net' based downloads as it kept saying 'wrong password' and when a password reminder was requested the link would not connect but strangely I could log on to 'My Account by going direct to Tom Toms website. After contacting them it appears they had a server fault that has now been corrected and as said I have now completed the full update to my GO720, complete with the new 'Danger Zones' though on the download it is listed as 'Premium Speed Cameras'. To check for yourselves after downloading if you plot a route through France where you know there to be a speed camera and then run the route through, you will see a completely new and different Icon for the Danger Zone Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 In the UK perfectly legal, just not in France, and a bit dodgy in the rest of the EU. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 suntrecker38 - 2012-04-04 5:27 PM Hi If you read The AA European Driver's Handbook you will see that most if not all European countries ban the use of a GPS witch have fixed speed cameras Poi's or deactivated. Not correct only Switzerland and now France have specifically outlawed GPS based safety camera alerts, though Germany whilst it has not specifically outlawed GPS until there is a test case it is an unknown, a bit like 'A' Frames (LoL!), go wash my mouth out. :-D :-D :-D Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Patricia, not sure why you thought that your GO720 was not on the upgrade list as if you look on http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5560 and open the list of compatable units you can clearly see the GO series in the list they are listed as ........ GO x50 GOx40 GOx30 GOx20 etc ., the x refers to 6 7 8 or 9 series and is the normal way Tom Tom refers to the GO series. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Basil - 2012-04-04 11:30 PM Patricia, not sure why you thought that your GO720 was not on the upgrade list as if you look on http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5560 and open the list of compatable units you can clearly see the GO series in the list they are listed as ........ GO x50 GOx40 GOx30 GOx20 etc ., the x refers to 6 7 8 or 9 series and is the normal way Tom Tom refers to the GO series. Bas I looked there Bas but couldn't see GOx70 which I thought I would need. Thanks for the information on the problems you also experienced logging in etc. I did try to look at a route where I know there is a camera but it is not showing. This may be because it is fairly new and my map is old now. Will see what happens when I drive past it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 If your sat-nav has the capability to predefine a route, you might try testing using the data in the "Carte des Radars" regional listings shown on the left of the following webpage http://www.controleradar.org/tomtom-radar.html I think the information is pretty up-to-date and accurate - certainly a selection of French fixed cameras that I'm aware of (some of which don't show on my 2010 AA/IGN paper road atlas) all appear in the lists. For what it's worth, Tom Tom indicates that it can provide speed-camera alerting support for the following European countries Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Presumably this means that use of a 'passive' device (eg. a GPS-based sat-nav) is currently legal in those countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 I did try this suggestion Derek but could not see any radars on my map. There are certainly more of them in this area (Puy-de-Dome) than are shown on that list but as far as I can tell none show on my device. Will have to see what happens on my way home but thanks for the suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Patricia - 2012-04-04 11:39 PM I looked there Bas but couldn't see GOx70 which I thought I would need. Thanks for the information on the problems you also experienced logging in etc. I did try to look at a route where I know there is a camera but it is not showing. This may be because it is fairly new and my map is old now. Will see what happens when I drive past it tomorrow. Hi Patricia, it is probably because there is no GO 770! The x in the series x50 x40 x30 and x20 refers to the version number, so your GO720 is an x20 version NOT GO x70 i.e. GO720 is of the x20 series. Regarding your mapping being old, that should not effect the Safety (speed) Camera Database, strange thing is I have just re tried to do a simulation and this time it didn't show the new symbol, don't know if it is because we are home now and not in France!! I remember reading somewhere when I was downloading that it only works in France, but I took that to mean that the new 'Danger Zone' is only operative FOR France not other countrys!! Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thanks for explaining the numbering system Basil - feel really stupid now! Two queries now though: 1. Do you subscribe to the speed camera update? I used to but the subscription has run out now and it does not seem worth paying again now. 2. Can you describe what the new symbol looks like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Dunno if this helps, but there's a demo video at the start of the following webpage that (as I understand it) shows how French 'danger zones' are displayed on a TomTom sat-nav: http://discussions.tomtom.com/t5/TomTom-GO-x00-x10-x20-x30-x40/Software-Version-9-430/td-p/184969/page/3 Again "As I understand it", there also seems to be suggestions that the TomTom device is 'country sensitive' in terms of functionality, so may work differently when it comes to displaying this type of warning if the software senses that the device is not actually in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Hi Patricia, sorry for delay in reply been away, please don't feel stupid I still learn something every day as well! Yes I do subscribe to the camera database but I am sure that, once again, I read during the download process that the 'Danger Zone' update was free to everyone now and for future updates. The symbol is a red triangle with an exclamation mark in white with the allowable speed in large numbers, still cannot replicate it here though not sure why yet! Bas P.S Just seen Dereks post and yes that is exactly what you see except I am sure my colours for the signs were red with a white mark, perhaps they are different if you have a different map colour (?) though that does not seem to make sense to me as I would have thought the warnings would have been the same irrespective of mapping colour. Hope you are correct Derek as I still can't replicate the 'Danger Zones' here at home hope it hasn't gone wrong as I will need it again in a month!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Thanks for the link Derek, it seems , if you read further on page 5, the system only works fully when you are in France, wondered why I couldn't find how to set up a sound for 'Danger Zones', bit difficult to set up and check before you go to France it seems! Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Basil and Derek - thank you both very much for your help. I think I may have sussed out the problem. According to the website Derek gave the link to, it may be because my home is set to an English address, not a French one. I can't try it out at the moment because I have already set up the TT in the car ready for an early start tomorrow and I am running out of time as usual to get packed etc.!! I shoud have wifi tomorrow night - if so I will post again and let you know if the danger zones work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 Sorry I didn't get the wifi as expected and only just had time to sign on again. Well, I changed my home address to a French one and the warnings appeared! I didn't have time while in France to set the alarm sound so cannot comment on that. I now see a large arrow on the lefthand side but have no idea what it is telling me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Patricia - 2012-04-16 11:46 AM Sorry I didn't get the wifi as expected and only just had time to sign on again. Well, I changed my home address to a French one and the warnings appeared! I didn't have time while in France to set the alarm sound so cannot comment on that. I now see a large arrow on the lefthand side but have no idea what it is telling me! Any help? http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3554/~/compass-options http://www.tomtomforums.com/t27664-whats-arrow-thingy.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 Derek Uzzell - 2012-04-16 1:54 PM Any help? http://uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3554/~/compass-options http://www.tomtomforums.com/t27664-whats-arrow-thingy.html I am afraid not Derek as the thick, curved blue arrow sits in a white square. Anyway, I have just been out for a short drive and pressed the arrow. The result was a menu page with the following options: report speed camera, navigate to postcode, FM transmitter, use day/night colours and turn sound off with Done to return to the screen. On the night colours the square is black and the arrow blue. It sits on the lefthand side, almost halfway up the screen and above the small direction arrow. I don't remember it there before the upgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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