# French Speed Limits-MMM Magazine letter(April issue)



## naunty (Aug 19, 2010)

Just received April issue of MMM magazine and am now more confused than ever. Page 11 has a forum letter concerning French Speed Limits and quotes various speeds depending on weight and whether or not trailers are attached. The article generally states that motorhomes over 3.5T GVW are restricted to 90kph on motorways and dual carriageways with central reservations - 80kph on other roads including dual carriageways with no central crash barrier, whether or not they are towing a trailer.

According to The Caravan Club, motorhomes over 3.5T GVW generally speaking are restricted to 110/100/80 kph Motorways/dual carriageways/single carriageways, this being the advice provided to them by the legal department of Automobile Club de France. (Such vehicles towing trailers are restricted generally to 90/90/80 kphrespectively) This information was up to date as at July 2010.

Does anyone know which is correct :?: :?: Have I missed something :?: :?: or is the MMM article, (as I suspect) wrong :?: :?:


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Hi Naunty, 

Since we started MHing, we've always gone off the 110, 100 & 80 figures without any problems.

We initially picked those figures up from the CC.

I'm sure someone will be along soon with a definitive answer,



Ken.


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## dennisandandrea (May 1, 2005)

We are in Southern Spain, the speed limits on roads have been lowered form 120km to 110km on motorways. In towns down to 30km, in local paper this because of the fuel costs. 
Could this be why there have down in France. 

Dennis


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## naunty (Aug 19, 2010)

I can understand the argument relating to the current fuel prices, but its just that I've never seen anything to legally support this. It's certainly an important issue, as the reductions mentioned in MMM, are fairly significant, but I still feel there is a very strong possibility that the author has got it wrong.


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## naunty (Aug 19, 2010)

I think I may have just answered my own question, in which case, the Caravan Club advice may well be wrong.

I've been digging a bit deeper and found further threads on the MMM forum from the original author of this speed limit problem - Brian Kirby who seems to have done some serious research into this. When questioned by similarly sceptical motorhomers, he has quoted the following:



> _ The limits were published in the French motorhome magazine Le Monde du Camping-Car, edition 228 S, February 2011. They quote from Décret 2009-754, of July 2008. I checked this at legifrance.gouv.fr: the relevant item can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/46dhe6k_





> _He further states; I believe what I posted is a) the latest and b) is correct, subject to my understanding of the French. Note that "poids total autorisé en charge" or PTAC means MAM, and "poids total roulant autorisé" or PTRA means gross train weight (GTW). Also note that actual laden weights do not count, it is the plated weights that are taken into account. Further note that "véhicules de transport en commun" means goods vehicles, which does not include motorhomes._


For those who don't have or haven't yet received April's MMM, the following is a copy of the original article:



> _For those of you who may have forgotten, or even didn't know, if your vehicle is over 3.5 tonnes (3,500kg) MAM, or if the combined MAMs of your vehicle and any trailer (so virtually all motorhomes towing anything!) exceed 3.5 tonnes, different speed limits apply in France.
> 
> Specifically:
> 
> ...


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