# French speed limits



## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

Apparently a new report to the French government due out in November will recommend that max speed on all N & D roads with single carriageway should be reduced to 80kph, that is around 50 mph.
Speeding fines in the last year raised €800 million! Seems that M. Hollande has found the answer to the national debt problem.

Also might be of interest that there are now unmarked police cars capable of checking speed of cars moving past them in either direction.

Of course all of this may be of only passing interest to drivers of UK registered vehicles unless the long heralded change happens and fines can be passed across EU borders.

Alan


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I posted about this in the summer. I kept passing LED screens telling me -3 points or whatever as I entered towns. Wondered if there was some new scheme going on. There does seem to be more cameras around in FRance but despite being flashed several times and also not slowing down fast enough the get the -3 points message I am yet to hear anything and to be honest I never thought I would. How would it possibly work Legally?


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

There is a data sharing protocol regarding tracking down drivers but just how they go about enforcing the fine if you don't return to the country of origin I don't know.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...h-helping-catch-UK-drivers-fined-holiday.html

Big Brother or some shifty sh*t is watching out for you...
Terry


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

I'd like to see you refusing an on the spot fine regardless of country of regestrtion  

Dick


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## Chas17 (May 1, 2005)

alhod said:


> Apparently a new report to the French government due out in November will recommend that max speed on all N & D roads with single carriageway should be reduced to 80kph, that is around 50 mph.
> Speeding fines in the last year raised €800 million! Seems that M. Hollande has found the answer to the national debt problem.
> 
> Also might be of interest that there are now unmarked police cars capable of checking speed of cars moving past them in either direction.
> ...


There's a petition against reducing the speed limit here which you can fill in! It requires surname, Christian name and Email then click on the red box.

http://www.liguedesconducteurs.org/non_a_la_baisse_des_limitations_de_vitesse/


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Geriatricbackpacker said:


> There is a data sharing protocol regarding tracking down drivers but just how they go about enforcing the fine if you don't return to the country of origin I don't know.
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...h-helping-catch-UK-drivers-fined-holiday.html
> 
> ...


That appears to be private companies paying DVLA to chase parking fines which nobody in this country will ever pay. Im not sure it refers to speeding fines which I suspect (but I could be wrong) are only enforced if they catch you while in country.


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## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

I am certain that there is no system in place for tracing offenders across the border but that is something which is under debate for the future. 
If stopped in France you must pay the fine but the points cannot be added to your UK licence. 

Alan


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## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

This quest to lower the speed limit is driven by the belief that speed is the main cause of the high number of road deaths in France. 
Anyone driving here often may agree that it is not the speed alone but the skills and techniques of the average French driver ( tailgating, cutting corners, overtaking on blind hills etc.)
Easier to impose a blanket restriction than to change the bad habits of a nation!

Alan


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## rotorywing (Jul 19, 2010)

Can anyone tell me what the 'white daleks' are that I spotted on the side of the road in a couple of places in France. Normally one each side of the road, they are a 4ft tall cylinder with several sensors/windows. I didn't see any speed camera signs and seem to be in remote areas. Are they just a traffic monitoring system ??


Martin


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

alhod said:


> This quest to lower the speed limit is driven by the belief that speed is the main cause of the high number of road deaths in France.
> Anyone driving here often may agree that it is not the speed alone but the skills and techniques of the average French driver ( tailgating, cutting corners, overtaking on blind hills etc.)
> Easier to impose a blanket restriction than to change the bad habits of a nation!
> 
> Alan


Totally agree. My experience in Europe tells me that French drivers drive much slower than the Brits but dont pay as much attention. Roundabouts are a prime example. Maybe French cars dont have indicators I dont know but they never use them and reversing clearly isnt part of a French test. The Brits are much more aggresive drivers but technically better than our Euro cousins but we have more accidents as there is more traffic.


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

Yep the drivers definately drive slower 
and they keep going round the roundabouts the wrong way


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

I got the feeling that tailgating, on non-motorway roads anyway, comes abut because the French driver does not want to get done for speeding hence (why...) they form convoys all travelling behind the front vehicle which is doing 89kph

To overtake safely you would need to do at least 100kph for a brief time

Just my thoughts following observation, off the motorways, in September

Cheers

Dave


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

HarleyDave said:


> I got the feeling that tailgating, on non-motorway roads anyway, comes abut because the French driver does not want to get done for speeding hence (why...) they form convoys all travelling behind the front vehicle which is doing 89kph
> 
> To overtake safely you would need to do at least 100kph for a brief time
> 
> ...


I think the French style of driving has evolved from having very small engines after the war until the 90s. 
It took em so long to build up a good speed, nothing was going to slow them down. Tailgating was all part of the style.

The French government penalised you for having a large engine with punitive taxes and vingette. But all this changed late 90s when they abandoned the road tax.

Ray.


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## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

I find their observance of speed limits on motorways is surprisingly good. Unlike GB most drive at or very near the limit. It's on the D roads they go mad :lol: 

Alan


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## Chas17 (May 1, 2005)

When we went to live in France we came to believe that in most cars the indicators were operated directly by turning the steering wheel as they only seemed to operate as the wheel was turned to begin a turn.


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## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

IMHO part of the problem is that French drivers seem to go along oblivious to the presence of any other on the road and certainly do not think about what the other may be doing or going to do.

Prime example yesterday when we were out for the afternoon finding new vignerons to visit. I pulled over on a narrow section of road to allow room for a very wide, tall agri setup to pass easily. A woman coming up behind, who must have been able to see what I was doing as the road was dead straight and flat - just too narrow for us to pass easily - parked right up behind me and started flashing her lights and blasting the horn, presumably because she thought I was blocking her passage (no, not that one!). And that was not because I was identifiable as a Brit - we were in my French registered car.

Another example is the way that French drivers (most anyway, perhaps not all) seem totally ignorant of road etiquette. Try stopping to let one out of a side turning, or to get around a parked car - they simply do not get it and will wait there rather than accept that another driver may be yielding to them. 

With the same mindset in place whilst they are actually moving along roads at maximum speed possible, it is not difficult to understand why they come a cropper more often than we do.
And remember that UK has among the lowest road deaths in Europe (proportionately to miles driven etc etc).

Alan


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## kimbo4x4 (Jun 29, 2008)

barryd said:


> I posted about this in the summer. I kept passing LED screens telling me -3 points


Barry I think these signs may have been telling you how many pedestrain crossing you could expect to cross. :?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

alhod said:


> IMHO part of the problem is that French drivers seem to go along oblivious to the presence of any other on the road and certainly do not think about what the other may be doing or going to do.
> 
> Prime example yesterday when we were out for the afternoon finding new vignerons to visit. I pulled over on a narrow section of road to allow room for a very wide, tall agri setup to pass easily. A woman coming up behind, who must have been able to see what I was doing as the road was dead straight and flat - just too narrow for us to pass easily - parked right up behind me and started flashing her lights and blasting the horn, presumably because she thought I was blocking her passage (no, not that one!). And that was not because I was identifiable as a Brit - we were in my French registered car.
> 
> ...


I used to pull over on a mountain pass or B road to let traffic past if Im not in a hurry in the van. Ive given up. You pull in and the car behind just pulls in behind you or goes in a flap.

One sign of slowing down or a quick flash of the indicator in the UK and they are past you faster than light speed. What worries me is I just dont think they look ahead further than the front bonnet.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

barryd said:


> alhod said:
> 
> 
> > IMHO part of the problem is that French drivers seem to go along oblivious to the presence of any other on the road and certainly do not think about what the other may be doing or going to do.
> ...


Either they do not understand English sign language or do not trust anyone from 'Perfidious Albion'. The Poles are better and most times give a 'thank you' acknowledgement - they are also quite good at letting one out.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

My experience this summer, when driving on some of the narrower but straight roads was that by pulling close to the offside and indicating right (when all was clear), most cars would shoot past me and pip or wave their thanks, just my experience.
Understanding the mentality of French and Spanish drivers where they differ from English (after you! "No after you!") drivers can be summed up as 'think selfish' and there you have it. Park on a blind bend, obstruct a narrow street, open doors regardless of traffic etc. They are usually ok about moving out of your way, although seemingly surprised you should expect them to.

Someone told me that the French points system cannot for now be applied to UK drivers, as they deduct points, whereas we add points. Someone will realise that there is money to be made and find a way.

Alan


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

Yep giving way to someone
Pulling closer to the edge and indicating them past you.
Is virtually a waste of time

At least you know you are driving in France


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

I have just been researching this area of speeding fines/endorsements as it seems open to interpretation. Most of the EU signed up to a dictate which means fines and points can be imposed cross border. The UK didn't sign up so with regards to points we have nothing to worry about at the moment. However a company called Euro Parking Collections have found a niche market in obtaining driver details from the DVLA (DVLA will not send data outside of the country but EPC are British based and get round it). This company started out enforcing parking/toll road fines for international clients adding a whopping great admin charge to the fee to boot. In August this year they entered into negotiations with the French authorities with a view to collect speeding fines.

Grey area at the moment are that the fines for parking/toll roads are civil and speeding is apparently criminal.

I can't find any postings or information on what happens if you ignore the EPC invoices and nobody seems to have received anything from them so far for speeding. 

I did find that a couple of people have posted that they were stopped leaving Calais and the original fine plus penalties for late payment (about 500 euros in one case). They were riding/driving the same vehicle they had committed the speeding infringement on/in.

Terry


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## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

I'm surprised by Alan's experience on passing - we have almost always found just the same as Barry and kev. Sometimes just for fun, if a tail is growing behind the van and all my signaling to get them past has failed, I slow down gradually to see how slow one has to be going before they finally pass. Best result was six cars behind following us for more than 1km at 20mph :lol: 

Alan


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