speeding notification

[minnie]

We were flashed by an automatic camera doing about 85kph in an 80 limit on the rocade at Bordeaux the other day - a fair cop I'm afraid. First time in over 20 years.....Does anyone know how ling it takes to get the notification of this from the gendarmes? Like everyone else we're hoping there was no film in the camera......Does this happen in France?

[Anton Redman]

French concensus seems to be within a week to two weeks.

http://fr.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070814134547AAY4P5K

I can remember 90 and 70 as limits on the Rocade but not 80 best of luck anyway.

[minnie]

Thanks Anton. There were roadworks on the rocade which had an 80 sign. Unfortunately we obviously hadn't got back on the 90 by the time we hit the camera though it was immediately after the roadworks...that's life!

[Pierre ZFP]

Don't hold your breath, I got an envelope for 93 in a 90 (ok they knocked off the magin of error so I was probably doing 98 or so) which dropped through my letterbox 15 months after the date of the infringement!  I was hoping there was a time limit on these things but apparently not [:(]

[Bill]

maybe this will/might help in future.. it has the list of sites, no idea if its up to date, but at least gives u a clue if the area is new to you.

http://english.controleradar.org/north-traffic-information.php

rgds Bill

[minnie]

Thanks everyone for your help. It's arrived doing 8kph over the limit on the A62....there we go! Right I can see how to pay the fine but can someone tell me if I have to send my french licence anywhere for the points to be deducted? Also should I notify my insurance company straight away? After 20 years of clean licence I get this. Have to take more care in future....

[Chiefluwie]

A full 8km/hr wow, in proper terms that's nearly 5mph over the limit - they must be short of cash this month! Pay the fine then that's an end to it, at least it was with mine which was very similar. Does it say you have lost a point?

[minnie]

Yes it does. That's why I wanted to know whether I had to submit my French licence anywhere and/or inform insurance

[sid]

If you have a French licence they just deduct the point on their computerised records, no need to send the licence.

If you don't do anything silly, like get another speeding ticket, you should get your point back in a short time; I thought it was after 12 months, but it appears that it may be 6 months.

 

[Chiefluwie]

[quote user="minnie"]Yes it does. That's why I wanted to know whether I had to submit my French licence anywhere and/or inform insurance[/quote]

That was a bit bloody minded for such a minor offence! One point I take it?

[Pierre ZFP]

There's a check box on the notification to say if a point has been deducted or not.

I suspect that in this case it is blank so no point deducted, nothing else to do.

[Sunday Driver]

There is no requirement to inform your insurer.

 

[minnie]

Thanks all. Under effect on points it says "oui" so I imagine a point has been deducted.

[chirpy]

What about my speeding by 1km on Xmas Eve!!Santa was travelling faster than me and did not get a fine..............................I WAS GIVEN A 45 EURO FINE!!    bloody flashers!!Merry Xmas !![:P]

[idun]

1km? really, is that how it works?

I thought that they only did it once a person was over 10% above the speed limit?

 

 

 

 

[SC]

On the back of your avis de contravention in the information section it says that you will be notified regarding points deducted by the central driving licence service.

Just pay the fine quickly and keep your fingers crossed.

Use your satnav for your true speed rather than your speedometer which will usually be surprisingly optimistic. (in a 90 limit then you'll get a fine if you're driving over 99, which may be when your speedometer shows 105). I'm not advocating speeding, but speed cameras only take speed into account; the same speed can be dangerous in some conditions and harmless in others and as far as I know cameras don't take into account whether it is raining or not (90 limit becomes 80). It also seems to me that the speed limits are decided by the same teams that decide on which junctions should be stop and which should be give way, presumably also with a throw of a dice.

Steve

(puts on crash helmet and flak jacket..........................)

[Sunday Driver]

What's the point in using a satnav to discover what you already know - that your true speed is a few kph less than what your speedometer reads, which is what it's supposed to do?  As far as your example is concerned, anyone driving in a 90 limit with 105 showing on the clock deserves to be fined.

To clarify when a fine is applied, the speeding ticket shows the actual speed of the vehicle, from which a 5kph tolerance is deducted, leaving the net speed (vitesse retenue) which determines the offence.  Where the speed limit is over 100kph, the tolerance is 5%. 

Finally, what are these speed limits that you seem to think are being decided on the throw of a dice?  Are they the ones that are properly put in place to protect pedestrians or manage traffic congestion on urban autoroutes or signal other potential hazards like dangerous junctions or bends - or are they different ones........?  [;-)]

 

 

[Benjamin]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

Finally, what are these speed limits that you seem to think are being decided on the throw of a dice?  Are they the ones that are properly put in place to protect pedestrians or manage traffic congestion on urban autoroutes or signal other potential hazards like dangerous junctions or bends - or are they different ones........?  [;-)]

[/quote]

I always have a quiet smile when amateurs start deciding what is a valid speed limit and what is not. Do they think a couple of blokes sit in an office somewhere and randomly decide where limits and at what level they should be set?

No brainer to me. Stick to the set limit. It makes for less stressful journeys and for any experienced driver to not know within 5% what their speed is without refering to the speedo calls into question their suitability to be behind the wheel.

[idun]

There is a speed limit on a bank near us which is stupid. I mean stupid, I think that who so ever thought it up must have all been on the pop.

I disagree with many speed limits I see. No reason what so ever for them. I wish someone with common sense would sort them out, qualifications do not always mean that a person is either good at their job, or have any common sense.

I don't have a sat nav, I don't want one. I have been very afraid in cars where the drivers have become sat nav dependant.

[Sunday Driver]

This is a discussion about what happens in France.

You are talking about speed limits where you live in the UK.

 

[idun]

Why not both, I know what the speed limits are where I used to live too and we had some looney changes made.

[SC]

SD said: "What's the point in using a satnav to discover what you already know - that your true speed is a few kph less than what your speedometer reads, which is what it's supposed to do?"

What your speedometer is supposed to do is show your actual speed, not a vague approximation of it. The point is to make full use of the limits and application of the law. A satnav shows your actual speed and the difference between that and your speedometer reading will vary at different speeds.

SD said: "To clarify when a fine is applied, the speeding ticket shows the actual speed of the vehicle, from which a 5kph tolerance is deducted, leaving the net speed (vitesse retenue) which determines the offence. Where the speed limit is over 100kph, the tolerance is 5%."

I made a mistake in assuming that the tolerance was 10%. However I'm not sure that what you say (5kph) is exactly correct because quoting from an actual avis: controlé à 104, limit 90, vitesse retenue 98?

So what I will do in 90 limits is drive at satnav 95 kph, which is 100kph on my speedometer. Most other cars will be overtaking me of course.  As I said before, I'm not advocating that anyone exceeds speed limits.

　

Is this a windup Benjamin? its unbelievable that anyone in touch with reality can think this!! :

Benjamin said: "for any experienced driver to not know within 5% what their speed is without refering to the speedo calls into question their suitability to be behind the wheel."

Steve

[EuroTrashII]

SC says: What your speedometer is supposed to do is show your actual speed, not a vague approximation of it. The point is to make full use of the limits and application of the law.

The EU regs say: The indicated speed must never be less than the actual speed, i.e. it should not be possible to inadvertently speed because of an incorrect speedometer reading.

The indicated speed must not be more than 110 percent of the true speed plus 4 km/h at specified test speeds. For example, at 80 km/h, the indicated speed must be no more than 92 km/h.

Sc does not accept that "for any experienced driver to not know within 5% what their speed is without refering to the speedo calls into question their suitability to be behind the wheel." Well I have to say I think this is a pretty reasonable expectation.

[PaulT]

[quote user="Sc"]

SD said: "What's the point in using a satnav to discover what you already know - that your true speed is a few kph less than what your speedometer reads, which is what it's supposed to do?"

What your speedometer is supposed to do is show your actual speed, not a vague approximation of it. The point is to make full use of the limits and application of the law. A satnav shows your actual speed and the difference between that and your speedometer reading will vary at different speeds.

[/quote]

A speedometer cannot show actual speed - there is a difference between the circumference of a new tyre and one that is just legal. The degree of wear will change the speed shown.

[Chancer]

[quote user="EuroTrashII"]for any experienced driver to not know within 5% what their speed is without refering to the speedo calls into question their suitability to be behind the wheel." Well I have to say I think this is a pretty reasonable expectation.[/quote]

 

How could any experienced driver be able to judge their speed to within 5% of a fixed limit when all the vehicles that they have driven will have had speedometers that over-read by between 5% and 10%  + 4kph? They will never have had a true reference to judge by.

I have a motorcycle engined kit car, the speedo reads from the gearbox output shaft and is calibrated in the expectation of a chain drive and motorcycle wheel not a race differential and 13" wheels and race tyres, it massively over-reads, I drive to what I estimate to be just under the speed limits (when I respect them [;-)]) but am under no illusions of being within 5% of the speed I want to be at.

To be absolutely sure, when for instance I see a police vehicle or speed trap, I am probably driving 10% under the limit. Without any reference be it rev counter or even a massively over/under-reading speedo te refer to your speed could creep up or down 5% without you even being aware of it, not so much so in the vehicle concerned as it has no windscreen so at the very least I can judge the wind chill but in a quiet modern saloon?