crob Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 A friend (ex-copper) has just told me about the use of SatNav systems with speed camera warnings attached to them. He says that in France (and maybe other countries) if a policeman stops you and finds that you have the speed camera alert on, he can fine you €1,000 and confiscate your device. They regard it as “cheating”. Has anyone come across this, or is it a false rumour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 You may find this interestinghttp://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=51703&highlight=swiss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 It's been on here before and, strictly, it is inaccurate. What are illegal are the radar detector devices that warn you of a mobile police check. GPSs with speed limits and fixed cameras are not illegal as such, but the subtlety of the difference may not be apparent to the indidual copper, especially if your French is not that good. The simplest remedy, therefore, is to switch off, or remove, the speed camera locations. Then, there can't be any arguments or misunderstandings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
empress Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I also noticed this mentioned in "Honest John's" page in Saturday's motoring section. Empress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 From Saturdays Telegraph honest John's letters page: " Just a note to warn readers that the French police are getting really funny about sat-navs that are pre-loaded with speed camera locations. Some British motorists have received fines of about £1,000 if caught in possession and the police can confiscate your car. It's best not to take detector sat-navs to France at the moment. The route-planning facility at www.viamichelin.com provides all the fixed camera locations in France. Kev, France # Thanks for the warning." This is very worrying if factual.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 The answer would be to take another SD card without any speed cameras installed. SD cards are cheap enough these days so wouldn't break the bank.You can either switch cards at the border or wait till you were unlucky enough to be flagged down then switch the cards over . . . . if you can stop your hands from shaking.On a different point, our son emailed us to say he'd narrowly missed a fine for not wearing fluorescent jacket when he was wandering about on the motorway in Belgium after being involved in a multiple pileup.Have you got yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Way2Go - 2007-03-13 8:52 PMHave you got yours? Yes! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted March 13, 2007 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I hope your son is ok ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Thanks Michele, he and his wife were fine. They were involved in a multiple pile up in Belgium on the way to Germany, their oldish car just had a few 'dings'.The incident appeared to be a coming together at the front followed by frantic braking at the back as everyone tried to avoid the accident.-----------------------------------------------------------------O.K., will the safety minded, holier than thou members please form a queue to discuss the safety aspects and boring stories about all the things they've seen on the roads. Starting with "If a man walked in front with a flag . . .", through "Your head will explode if you go faster than 15 mph, and finally through to "I've scraped up more body parts than you've had hot dinners . . ."DISCUSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miami Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Where are all these policeman? Went to France last year and only saw 3 and they were trying to round up some escaped cows in a narrow lane. We had the best laugh of the holiday! It is the radar dectectors that are illegal. They will be here soon if not already. The fixed cameras are marked on the maps so their position on a Satnav can't be illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry1956 Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Hi in answer to where are all the police, will they are out there, I have seen them early in the day with their speed guns hiding in the side streets, behind lamp posts and even standing in the road, Caen is full of them. My other half got done 4km over the 50km limit, result 60 euro fine. In the french papers there are reports of how the police are clamping down on drivers. They have all seen how easy it is to make money from drivers as it is here in the UK, and are just following suit. Also make sure that you have a yellow reflective vest or jacket, and the means to change a lightbult with you when in france, they do stop and check at times, fine you on there and then if you don,t have the gear. take care terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 michele - 2007-03-13 10:03 PM I hope your son is ok ?. Blimey Michele! Thought you where telepathic there! Until I realised you were responding to W2G’s post… My 13 year old son was mugged on Sunday, threatened with a knife and relieved of his new phone. Police where called immediately …. Said they would come to the house in the evening – no show. Eventually turned up 36 hrs later! As a contrast I was at Kings X station the following evening where a worst for wear passenger decided to relieve him self in the booking hall. Within 5 minutes, three police cars followed by two vans arrived with an armed response unit! So, in London suburbs minimum policing – because they are all sitting about centrally waiting for nothing to happen – which they could do little about if it did! My son is distraught and has lost so much confidence. My apologies for going seriously of thread – but I needed to get that of my chest… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 That's dreadful Judge. I'm sorry to hear that news. I hope your son will get over it but it must have been a dreadful experience for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Thanks W2G, he has just got back from school and is much better. we live in a nice private road in a good residential area but go half a mile in two direction's and you are amongst it. Saw a brilliant painting on TV a while back. it was a large oil in the manner of Constable's hayloft? BUT it had one addition, in the bottom right hand corner one of these yellow police signs you see dotted around (at least in London) appealing for witnesses to muggings, murder's etc... all is not well in paradise! all being well picking up camper on the 26th! - what about yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 JudgeMental - 2007-03-14 3:18 PM all being well picking up camper on the 26th! - what about yours? On the 24th yeehah :-) Really excited tinged with a little anxiety . . . a bit like the sleepless night I had at Folkestone several years ago worrying about towing a twin-axle caravan with a 4 x 4 onto the Shuttle for the first time. I had visions of getting out and asking everyone if they could all back up the ramp a bit so I could have another go :-)In reality, when we arrived at the train entrance door it was the size of an aircraft hanger . . . . still, it 'looked' a lot smaller at 3am!!I'm glad your son seems to be bearing up. That must have shook him up a lot, it would certainly shake me up. I'm glad he wasn't silly enough to resist and spend the night in casualty.How long will you have your new baby before going out in her? Where do you plan on going? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Normandy & Brittany at Easter for a trial run witsun on hold at the moment due to daughters exams then a few weekends somewhere before summer trip then of to Italy for a month, via Mosel river, lake constanz, Austria and 2 weeks booked at "Forenella" on lake Garda what about you, any plans? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Way2Go Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Wow, sounds good to me.This will be our first time with a motor home so we'll be taking things steady and using the first few trips as a learning exercise.Easter will see us around the Warwickshire and Cotswold areas followed by a few long weekends at various places.We'll be off to Germany in July to visit our son and the rest is currently on the back burner.Not very organised as yet but we're really looking forward to touring as opposed to being static with local trips out.Your trips sound well organised and look like an experienced old hand - if you don't mind me saying so ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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