using sat nav's in France

[teliow]

can anyone tell me the situation regarding the use and legality of Sat Nav systems in France. I've been told that units which detect laser cameras are illegal. Anyone know where I can get a definitive answer?

Many thanks

Tel

[Benjamin]

As far as I am aware the location of safety cameras are built into the Sat Nav system and do not "detect" any laser or other beams emitted from these cameras and are therefore legal to use (my Siemens VDOdayton sat nava works on this system).

As additional cameras are added to the network then your system will need regular updates.

The moral issues of using safety camera detection sysyems and staying within the speed limits has been covered ad nauseam on here in other threads.

Edit: Sorry but I forgot to welcome you to the forum teliow.

[Pierre ZFP]

Devices that detect 'Safety' cameras by radar/laser/voices from beyond the grave are illegal in France (and many other countries) and if the cops find one in your car, even if not switched on, it will win you a one-way ride in a Police car to a money machine where you will hand over at least 750 euros to the copper AND have your device confiscated too. 

[Ron Avery]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]Devices that detect 'Safety' cameras by radar/laser/voices from beyond the grave are illegal in France (and many other countries) and if the cops find one in your car, even if not switched on, it will win you a one-way ride in a Police car to a money machine where you will hand over at least 750 euros to the copper AND have your device confiscated too. [/quote]

  but if you have a sat nav, which like the michelin on-line maps,  tells you the location of speed cameras as the OP asked, you are not doing anything illegal are you Pierre?

[Jonzjob]

Passive systems, i.e. shown on maps, programmed into gps systems, etc, not a problem. Active systems that detect when someone is squirting a hair dryer shaped radar gun at you, frowned upon VERY greatly.

If you think about a radar gun has to squirt a signal at you and then recieve it back again as a bounced signal then work our the doppler change in the frequency it sent and then tell Mr Plod what speed you are doing. Doppler effect, a fire engine coming towards you, the dee daa, dee daa sounds a higher pitch as it comes towards you than as it goes past. Got it? Failing that try googling doppler effect? Or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_effect

If you have an active system then you can detect the radar signal at a greater distance (oh hell, I wish I hadn't started this?) because it is the outgoing signal. You can detect it when it has not got the strength to bounce back to Mr Plod. They don't like that because they can't then catch you for doing something that you areen't supposed to be doing and in a lot of cases is down right dangerous...

So gps is OK.

[Sunday Driver]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]..... it will win you a one-way ride in a Police car to a money machine where you will hand over at least 750 euros to the copper AND have your device confiscated too. [/quote]

1,500€ fine, three year ban plus confiscation of the device - and the vehicle to which it is fitted...[:-))]

This only applies to devices which detect the presence of mobile radars.  The SatNav data covers fixed radars and it is 'static' so it is not illegal.

 

 

[Pierre ZFP]

Ron - Yes , as SD says SatNav is OK, although I am told that it is not legal in Germany.

SD - I mention the figure of 750€ as that is what my bro-in-law was charged last year.  It was not switched on, in fact he said there was no power lead, but just having it in the car was enough.  How they ever knew he doesn't know, it was in the windscreen yes, but he was flagged down after passing a cop car on a bridge, maybe binoculars but it looks just like a SatNav box anyway.  On Parting, the cop said 'av a nice 'oliday to which my BiL replied 'I can't, you've taken most of my spending money'

[Andyphilpott]

I raised this issue about a year ago and the conclusion was as above - all OK for Sat Navs. TomTom however would not guarantee that and pointed out that a gendarme is at liberty to stop anyone and make their life unpleasant.

Andy