Tasha Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Hi looking for some information. We were pulled over just after we had got off at the Jarnages junction on N145. The police had a van parked in a lay by from which you CANT see the junction. They told us we had failed to stop at the junction (we had stopped you have to if you are in a right hand drive car to see if there is anything coming over the bridge) the fine was 90 euros. We explained that we had stopped the one officer disagreed then checked with the other who was sat in the back of the van dealing with another British driver pulled over for the same thing. As they were talking to us, again not watching the road another foreign driver came by and was pulled for the same thing. We were all told fine of 90 euro's but when came to pay it was 135 euro's. Is this normal? Is there a website that explains the charges? Can we do anything to dispute this fine. The police admitted that they pull in far more drivers from UK than anywhere else. I wouldn't mind paying if we had done something wrong, but sticks in throat to have to pay when had stopped at the junction. Would be interested to hear from those of you living in France, should we just clock it down to expereince and forget it or do something about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 In a local paper last week they listed various offences and said how many points could be deducted.For not obeying a stop sign, 4 points. I'm not saying this will happen to you, as you probably have a uk licence, and actual fines were not quoted. You seem to have been very unlucky, and I hope someone else comes up with a more appropriate reply. If anyone's interested in this points chart I could copy it up. Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 tHERE HAVE BEEN MANY SERIOS ACCIDENTS WITH PEOPLE NOT STOPPING AT SIGNED JUNCTIONS AND MY DAUGHTER DRIVING L.H.D. FRENCH CAR WAS STOPPED .SHE ADMITTED NOT COMING TO AN ABSOLUTE STOP AS SHE COULD SEE CLEARLY AS SHE ARRIVED AT JUNCTION THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC COMING,SHE THEREFORE CONTINUED TO DRIVE VERY SLOWLY ONTLO MAIN ROAD. A POLICE CAR PARKED NEARBY WAS WATCHING AND SHE WAS LUCKY NOT TO BE FINED.THIS SEEMS TO BE A NEW EFFORT TO IMPROVE DRIVING HABBITS AND RADAR TRAPS ARE BREEDING LIKE RABBITS-I KNOW I WAS CAUGHT'.135 EURO 0R 90 IF PAIR WITHIN 2 WEEKS.YOU COULD TRY AND WRITE TO MAIN OFFICE WHICH COLLECTS ALLFINES FOR ALL OF FRANCE WHICH WILL BE ON ANY PAOPERS GIVEN TO YOU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 I think the problem that UK drivers have with French Stop signs is that you really have to stop, pause and then move off, assuming there is nothing coming!Its almost the technique you were taught for the Driving Test. There is a tendancy in the UK to do a "virtual stop", particularly on junctions with which one is familiar. If the Gendarmes are about its not enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Just found this in the Code de La RouteVous devez vous arrêter au niveau du panneau (ou de la ligne blanche), puis marquer un temps d'arrêt (quelques secondes) puis céder le passage aux éventuels véhicules vous barrant la route, puis, une fois les contrôles effectués (gauche, droite, en face, ...), repartir (My emphasis on the duration of the Stop) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcazar Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 And you'd be wasting time, effort and money disputing it, as any authority like a court KNOWS that, just like in the UK , the police NEVER tell lies, and definitely AREN'T collecting revenue!Makes me sick, this sort of thing.And the targetting of UK registered cars near ferry ports, as the police KNOW you've got money. It's legalised highway robbery.Alcazar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 We heard recently of an englishman whom the police stopped but couldn't find anything to do him for. However, when he was about to drive away, they did him for starting the engine BEFORE he had put his seat belt on - 90€ fine and no arguments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 Forgot to mention that after I posted on here last week about not having our first CT on one of the vehicles and was threatened with a 900€ fine, we got the test done and took the papers to the main gendarmerie. The officer on the desk took one look and said oh it's not that serious,being two months late and couldn't believe how much we had been threatend with costwise. Shan't forget to get the others done in future now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Came across another one last week while in a taxi (don't ask why, so much bad luck recently.) The driver's mobile rang and he answered it, a message from his office. He had just switched off when he was flagged down by the police in an unmarked car. On the spot 22 euros and 2 penalty points. He said something about if he had had his wireless phone (?) that would have been ok. Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hagar Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 [quote]I think the problem that UK drivers have with French Stop signs is that you really have to stop, pause and then move off, assuming there is nothing coming! Its almost the technique you were taught fo...[/quote]Thought this funny given all the criticism of "french" driving you can find on these forums.It is not just " a technique taught on a driving course" - you are breaking the law in the UK if you do not stop at a stop sign , and are just as liable to be penalised if you don't."You MUST stop behind the line at a junction with a 'Stop' sign and a solid white line across the road. Wait for a safe gap in the traffic before you move off."Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10 & 16 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/16.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 I agree. The point I was trying to make, and it was before I found the time criteria in the French code, was that you have to make a display of stopping. In England if you stop, and go immediately, (having checked the traffic!) you are unlikely to be penalised. In France you have to be seen to have stopped, just like in the driving test. I remember being taught to make an almost theatrical show of stopping and looking in the mirror.Its aslo the case that in France there are gendarmes about who can be bothered to enforce such rules whereas in England....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hagar Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 I see what you mean . "Don't just do it be seen to be doing it".Whilst I don't think UK traffic police hang about street corners looking for offenders - it's probably good practice if there are any around to see you.Years ago a friend of mine got done for it by a bobby on the beat - he was on a bicycle (the friend not the bobby).rgdsHagar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hegs Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 My French driving instructor told me 2 seconds is the minimum, with the car at absolute standstill. The other thing that springs to mind while we're on the subject, is that this rule and other rules of the road (priority to the right, etc) apply just as much in car parks and you can be done for breaking them there as well. That includes supermarket car parks etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Priority from the right in car parks? There was an incident in the parking at Carrefour just before christmas and by chance there were gendarmes just inside the door at Carrefour and they said that it was a private parking and they would in no way intervene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 My French driving instructor told me 2 seconds is the minimumAs I said eralier the code says "quelque secondes"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hegs Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 [quote]Priority from the right in car parks? There was an incident in the parking at Carrefour just before christmas and by chance there were gendarmes just inside the door at Carrefour and they said that...[/quote]'fraid so. What my driving instructor told me above seems to correct (I asked him if I could practise in a parking on a Sunday by myself, he said no you still need a license etc), your gendarmes were probably being lazy. It does seem all the rules of the road apply to supermarket parkings - priority to the right included - and so you can be done there by the gendarmes. Straight from the horses mouth: http://www.defense.gouv.fr/sites/gendarmerie/faq/copy2_of_copy_of_securite_routiereLes gendarmes ont-ils compétence sur un parking privé ?Une jurisprudence constante (Arrêt Cour de Cassation, chambre criminelle du 27 avril 1981 – arrêt Cour de cassation, deuxième chambre civile du 14 décembre 2000 ) énonce que « le code de la route s’applique sur toutes les voies ouvertes à la circulation publique et notamment les parkings situés dans les centres commerciaux ou à proximité des supermarchés ».La réglementation existante autorise donc un gendarme à verbaliser sur un parking privé, à la condition que celui-ci soit ouvert au public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnM Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 [quote]I agree. The point I was trying to make, and it was before I found the time criteria in the French code, was that you have to make a display of stopping. In England if you stop, and go immediately, (h...[/quote]I think the big difference is that we really do not have many actual "Stop" signs in the UK. Most of ours are "Give Way". (I am sure we used to have more of them when I was young... and the man walked in front with his red flag....) But if it says "Stop" then it is an offence if we only give way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 Lazy gendarmes...........no surprise there then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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