Cheers,
Nev.
A quick word of warning for those members on there way to Le Mans this year.
Currently the French Authorities are going all out to clamp down on motoring offences.
Figures published on Pistonheads from last weekends Moto GP at Le Mans show that large events are a major target for the Authorities.
"9,083 alcotests (79 positive, but here it isn't black and white; if you are just over it is 2 points.)
21 positive drug tests
1,835 speeding fines
66 licences taken away on the spot."
The Police set up road blocks and were breathalizing 50 at a time.
I can only imagine that they will hit the 24hr just as hard.
And don't forget your triangles, first aid kit, and hi viz vest! I have been asked to present them in the past, had all but the vest, and bingo!
I just wonder how many french drivers have a hi viz vest in their car? Anything with french plates is exempt, I forgot to say.
Cheers,
Nev.
They hit it pretty hard last year too 
Couple of TVR drivers lost their licences before they even got there...
How can you loose your British license to french police? when the offence for speeding in england is 3 points. What do you do about it then after you have lost it?
Depends what the offence is I guess - you can effectively lose your licence immediately if you fail an alcohol test in the UK, so maybe they have the same system.
The new regulations which came in earlier this months are:
1. any excess speed more than 30mph over the prevailing limit will incur a fine of 3,750 euros and the car/bike impounded. see 3.
2. the offence has now been uprated to a serious crime, and punishable with up to five years in prison
3. the vehicle will be confiscated and sold for state funds
4. Any use of a mobile phone will incur a fine of 135 euros on the spot
5. Motorcyclists must from hereon wear a high viz jacket at all times
6. The alcohol limit has remained at 0.5 grammes, not reduced to 0.2 as thought
7.The request to reduce the maximum speed limit in town to 20mph has not been applied
Remember you are dealing with a different view of the law. It isn't common law like we and you have, it is civil. Essentially, it is "guilty until you prove otherwise", although I am sure it can be made much more complicated than that if you annoy someone!
What, the country that gives us Louis Vuitton expects all bike riders to wear a bright orange jacket, can you imagine the Champs Elysees will look
like.
Don't believe it
quote:
Originally posted by wheezy
The new regulations which came in earlier this months are:
1. any excess speed more than 30mph over the prevailing limit will incur a fine of 3,750 euros and the car/bike impounded. see 3.
2. the offence has now been uprated to a serious crime, and punishable with up to five years in prison
3. the vehicle will be confiscated and sold for state funds
4. Any use of a mobile phone will incur a fine of 135 euros on the spot
5. Motorcyclists must from hereon wear a high viz jacket at all times
6. The alcohol limit has remained at 0.5 grammes, not reduced to 0.2 as thought
7.The request to reduce the maximum speed limit in town to 20mph has not been applied
quote:
Originally posted by femster87
How can you loose your British license to french police? when the offence for speeding in england is 3 points. What do you do about it then after you have lost it?
quote:
Originally posted by wheezy
The new regulations which came in earlier this months are:
1. any excess speed more than 30mph over the prevailing limit will incur a fine of 3,750 euros and the car/bike impounded. see 3.
2. the offence has now been uprated to a serious crime, and punishable with up to five years in prison
3. the vehicle will be confiscated and sold for state funds
4. Any use of a mobile phone will incur a fine of 135 euros on the spot
5. Motorcyclists must from hereon wear a high viz jacket at all times
6. The alcohol limit has remained at 0.5 grammes, not reduced to 0.2 as thought
7.The request to reduce the maximum speed limit in town to 20mph has not been applied
I think we can kiss goodbye to Mad Friday.
Dont forget you will need to carry all your documents as well. V5, both parts of your licence and insurance cert.
quote:
Originally posted by Ben_Copeland
quote:
Originally posted by femster87
How can you loose your British license to french police? when the offence for speeding in england is 3 points. What do you do about it then after you have lost it?
130mph in a TVR did it for him....
quote:
Originally posted by femster87
quote:
Originally posted by Ben_Copeland
quote:
Originally posted by femster87
How can you loose your British license to french police? when the offence for speeding in england is 3 points. What do you do about it then after you have lost it?
130mph in a TVR did it for him....
Thats was a bit naughty.
No different to when I went to the ring on a random weekend. I got pulled over and my details saftey equipment checked. They were pulling anyone and
everyone over. French bikers, German caravaners and me in the striker!
This was in Germany.
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
quote:
Originally posted by wheezy
The new regulations which came in earlier this months are:
5. Motorcyclists must from hereon wear a high viz jacket at all times
It does sound like the French have the same moronic approach to driving as the UK. I'm not daft: I'll wear a hi-vis jacket when riding if I value my safety, but to be legally obliged to wear one because some numpty can't be bothered to see me?!? Seems barking mad to me. Someone please explain the logic!
Steve Lovelock - 18/5/11 at 09:49 PMSometimes I'm glad that I had a lot of fun when I was young. Le Mans meant a weekend of great driving, now it means being sensible, when was that ever fun. I don't get €3, 750 for speeding. You can stick the 'if one drives sensibly then one will not get any trouble' argument where the sun doesn't shine. It's that sort of talk that led to the onslaught of speed cameras in the UK under the pretence of safety. And how does a high visibility jacket help motorcyclists? Everybody knows that they get hit because car drivers don't look rather than they don't see.
Whatever next, oh I know, lets make cyclists, as in pedal, wear helmets all the time and oh, how about they get compulsory registration as well so we can fine them if they jump a red light. After all, they might hurt themselves.
I want to be sick
clairetoo - 18/5/11 at 10:31 PMquote:
Originally posted by Steve Lovelock
Sometimes I'm glad that I had a lot of fun when I was young. Le Mans meant a weekend of great driving, now it means being sensible, when was that ever fun. I don't get €3, 750 for speeding. You can stick the 'if one drives sensibly then one will not get any trouble' argument where the sun doesn't shine. It's that sort of talk that led to the onslaught of speed cameras in the UK under the pretence of safety. And how does a high visibility jacket help motorcyclists? Everybody knows that they get hit because car drivers don't look rather than they don't see.
Whatever next, oh I know, lets make cyclists, as in pedal, wear helmets all the time and oh, how about they get compulsory registration as well so we can fine them if they jump a red light. After all, they might hurt themselves.
I want to be sick
Couldnt have put it better myself
When did this become filled with law abiding do-gooders who wouldnt dream of breaking traffic laws , happy to condemn a speeding motorist as worse than a mass murdering pedophile ? ?
omega 24 v6 - 18/5/11 at 10:59 PMIts simple Clairetoo.
We have cars therefore we have money. We are traceable, we are USUALLY hard working, normal law abiding citizens who do uphold the law apart from "driving offences" ( read that how you want).
On the other hand the system needs money ( we have it) they need results ( we are easilly traced to get these results )
They need minimal manpower ( mostly done by computer and low paid employees rather than Police) to catch us. We do not put up a struggle and pay up almost every time ( i'd imagine a 80% sucsess rate). Most of us would not qualify for legal aid if we did decide to fight (so we are not a burden on the system).
And for these reasons it's easy to keep the numbers up on the results list.
There's a lot to be said for being an underhand good for nothing benefit scrounging theif who probably will never be caught, and will be unlikely to do time, and will not have any money to pay a fine. Easy life ( if highly undesireable and for most of us uncomprehendable).
snapper - 19/5/11 at 05:40 AMRemember we are in the European community and laws are made and agreements of how to deal with them across nations, we are not an island.
Wel we are but you know what I mean.
The licence loosing thing, in the UK you can't loose your licence until the court takes it away, the French can take the physical licence away and effectively ban you from driving on the spot but you should be able to apply to DVLA on your return and get a new one.
MikeCapon - 19/5/11 at 06:45 AMI'm sure all this is going to depend on the cop you have the uncomfortable conversation with on the side of the road.
In terms of licences being confiscated here's my recent (4 months ago) experience:
Late for the plane from Geneva to Brum. Wide open road (90kph limit). Passed fixed camera at 90 kph and then got a hurry on. 2 kms later nice man in blue uniform waving to me in that 'stop here Now' kind of way they do.
146 kph showing on his hand held gun jobbie. 138 kph shown on documents for 90 limit.
His words to me, "You're lucky you have a UK licence. Anything 40kph over the limit is instant confiscation of licence now. This only applies to french licences though"
Me, "Sorry sir, won't do it again sir, etc, etc...."
90 Euro fine and that's all......
Not big, not clever, lesson learnt.
So do watch out over here. It is no longer the speedster's paradise it once was. And if they're having one of their clampdowns watch out even more. You will find they hide in some very nasty places and will be on a zero tolerance policy.
The favorite for catching the unaware (read forrin) is to set up a speed trap just after the white signs with red borders announcing the begining of a town or village. These signs mean an automatic 50 kph limit unless shown otherwise.
Oh, and last of all don't do the +10% thing that most people do in the UK. Over here people get done for 52 in a 50 limit.
wheezy - 19/5/11 at 08:00 AMNice to see that even the pro's get stopped as well. Apparently one of the BMW Team drivers got pulled traveling to St Malo after the test day. 160 kph on cruise and he was relieved of 750 Euros.
The police are getting better at conceling themselves as well. Fully camouflaged hide hidden in a bush just outside the town limit. My mate only spotted it as the cop was standing next to it having a smoke
MikeRJ - 19/5/11 at 08:56 AMquote:
Originally posted by Confused but excited.
Is it just me? I don't see anything wrong with any of the above.
You think up to five years in prison for 30mph over the limit, irrespective of the type of road is reasonable?
Every single year people post on forums about the French police cracking down for LeMans. They are certainly out in much larger numbers than usual, but you can still have fun without driving like an idiot.
[Edited on 19/5/11 by MikeRJ]
David Jenkins - 19/5/11 at 11:05 AMApart from what I said above - be aware that the French police can be absolute bar-stewards who will pick on British drivers ANY time of the year! Especially within 50 - 100km of any channel port (probably the eurotunnel terminal as well).
If you're pulled over for any indiscretion (such as a trivial traffic violation) expect your lights to be checked for dipping correctly, that you have a first aid kit, that your warning triangle is easily accessed (i.e. not under all the luggage in the boot! It's OK if you can open the boot and grab it immediately though) and that every passenger has a hi-vis vest IN THE CAR. Oh - and if you do get stopped on a main road - don't get out of the car to speak to the police without putting the vest on, or they may decide to fine you on the spot.
However, once you are a long way from the English Channel they just treat you like any other foreigner... "foreigner" being anyone who isn't French, that is!
Jasper - 19/5/11 at 12:48 PMDave I thought it was one high vis vest for the driver, and not for the rest of the passengers?
David Jenkins - 19/5/11 at 01:31 PMJust had a quick Google - you're right! One vest for the driver, but the French authorities recommend that each passenger also has one.
Something else I spotted - the first aid kit is also not compulsory, but strongly recommended due to their "Good Samaritan" rule: first person at the scene of an accident is obliged to help to the best of their ability. The same goes for the use of a fire extinguisher - if you've got one, you MUST use it if there's a fire.
AndyW - 19/5/11 at 01:35 PMisn't it a requirment to have a spare bulb kit?
vtecmike - 19/5/11 at 08:54 PMYeah , apparently there clamping down on driving offences because of all the accidents they keep having.
I live over here,all i can say is the best thing to do is teach the french to drive properly!
The new one is leaveing a unmarked estate car by the side of the road with a radar in the boot, but like the fixed radars, you wont be traced with uk plates!
The town i live in is great , they ve installed stupid radars on the trafic lights so if you go through on amber thats 130euro fine and 3 points please!
The French goverment needs money , so they ve gone mad on the motorists , so many people lose their licences, which then defeats the idea in the first place!
but being over here on holiday to le mans you shouldnt have to much hassle
sorry just felt like a moan
ps whats the dates?
David Jenkins - 19/5/11 at 09:10 PMquote:
Originally posted by AndyW
isn't it a requirment to have a spare bulb kit?
It's recommended - if you get stopped for a faulty light, they won't let you continue until it's fixed. If you do continue - they fine you. (or so I'm led to believe)
Confused but excited. - 21/5/11 at 10:02 PMquote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by Confused but excited.
Is it just me? I don't see anything wrong with any of the above.
You think up to five years in prison for 30mph over the limit, irrespective of the type of road is reasonable?
Every single year people post on forums about the French police cracking down for LeMans. They are certainly out in much larger numbers than usual, but you can still have fun without driving like an idiot.
[Edited on 19/5/11 by MikeRJ]
If you are aware of the limit and don't like the penalties.......don't volunteer.
In Germany, driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or whilst tired, carried the same penalty, five years away. Now that's a fixed penalty.
What I object to here is;
A short time ago two young guys were racing on a public road and as a result a woman was killed. The penalty......7 and 5 years respectively.
At the same time a surgeon doing 60 in a 30 limit killed a woman. The penalty......A two grand fine.
So yes, I think a period of contemplation whilst your basic needs are covered by the state is just fine, because anyone exceeding the speed limit by 30mph is obviously gagging for it.
I'm not saying that I agree with the 70mph limit on motorways, but the law is the law. If you don't like it, campaign to change it, or do a track day.
PeterV - 21/5/11 at 10:20 PMquote:
Originally posted by wheezy
The new regulations which came in earlier this months are:
1. any excess speed more than 30mph over the prevailing limit will incur a fine of 3,750 euros and the car/bike impounded. see 3.
2. the offence has now been uprated to a serious crime, and punishable with up to five years in prison
3. the vehicle will be confiscated and sold for state funds
4. Any use of a mobile phone will incur a fine of 135 euros on the spot
5. Motorcyclists must from hereon wear a high viz jacket at all times
6. The alcohol limit has remained at 0.5 grammes, not reduced to 0.2 as thought
7.The request to reduce the maximum speed limit in town to 20mph hRightas not been applied
mmmmm.... point 5 will be with us soon then. Had to be some why out of the cock up with Day Light Running Lights. As soon as Motorcyclists start dropping like flys they will issue another money spinner idea to cover thier butts from the first money maker idea
SteveWalker - 22/5/11 at 12:08 AMquote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
quote:
Originally posted by AndyW
isn't it a requirment to have a spare bulb kit?
It's recommended - if you get stopped for a faulty light, they won't let you continue until it's fixed. If you do continue - they fine you. (or so I'm led to believe)
For as long as I can remember, you've needed spare bulbs for France, but suposedly, they are using some common sense and on modern cars that often have difficult to change bulbs (Mk1 Focus for example) they will not expect you to change it there and then.
SteveW
cliftyhanger - 22/5/11 at 06:34 AMquote:
Originally posted by wheezy
The new regulations which came in earlier this months are:
1. any excess speed more than 30mph over the prevailing limit will incur a fine of 3,750 euros and the car/bike impounded. see 3.
2. the offence has now been uprated to a serious crime, and punishable with up to five years in prison
3. the vehicle will be confiscated and sold for state funds
4. Any use of a mobile phone will incur a fine of 135 euros on the spot
5. Motorcyclists must from hereon wear a high viz jacket at all times
6. The alcohol limit has remained at 0.5 grammes, not reduced to 0.2 as thought
7.The request to reduce the maximum speed limit in town to 20mph has not been applied
Anybody know where this comes from?
Want to check if it really means 30 MPH or KM/H
wheezy - 22/5/11 at 04:14 PM50 Kph or 30 mph. Here is the article in from the French press. Le Figaro
wilkingj - 22/5/11 at 07:05 PMDONT THINK just cos you have UK plates you will get away from whatever you have done.
Many years ago my uncle was involved in an accident in France. It wasnt his fault, and it took an expensive solicitor to get him out of the mire. (He could afford it!)
On subesquent visits to France (he went 6-8 times a year) he was stopped and checked EVERY TIME.
This was all before ANPR or GATSO cameras.
Do not take the risk, stay within the law. They are far worse than the UK police if they target you.
After 4 years of this he sold his car and got another, and the problem just vanished... It was all down to them having got his number plate on their computer system.
This isnt hearsay about a mate of a mates friend's dad's aunties son. He is a direct relative of mine, and I know this happened.
Cheers
