France with a Tom Tom Sat Nav

[Nick-Mandy]

Hi everyone,

Making plans to travel around France next year but I've been told, using a Sat Nav, with or without the speed camera detection active is illegal and subject to a heavy fine.
I'm only touring France.

Advice, please

 

[TJBi]

I'm aware of the issue re speed camera alerts, but it should be possible to switch those off - assuming that you have a satnav with a French speed camera database in the first place. I can imagine an issue with programming a satnav while driving, but as for use of a satnav being illegal??? Who told you that?

 

[Budgie]

Think if you have a recently bought sat nav, you will find the speed camera alerts will be not show when in France , some get around it by showing "a safety concern area" which is a stretch of road before and after a speed camera, so they are not showing actual speed camera locations but you know there is probably a speed camera coming up soon !

 

[jagmanx]

Having known speed limits and warnings is inbuilt with most satnavs and satnav apps.
Indeed imo a welcome safety feature.
Knowing about speed camera locations is slightly different.
You can disable this and simply keep to limits.
French villages have good warnings and often signs warning of a limit ahead.
Some of the 30kph limits are a bit annoying but they are usually for a short distance only.
We never use the toll roads and are happy to comply with the speed restrictions !
Simply get in the mindset !
.

 

[Nick-Mandy]

Yes, how can using a Sat Nav in France be illegal? I was told having the speed detection inactive was still illegal.
I expect if there was no French speed database installed, or quite simply deactivated, why would it still be illegal?
This is almost as bad as the Breathizer Law introduced!

 

[TJBi]

Yes, how can using a Sat Nav in France be illegal? I was told having the speed detection inactive was still illegal.
I expect if there was no French speed database installed, or quite simply deactivated, why would it still be illegal?
This is almost as bad as the Breathizer Law introduced!

Again, who told you?

 

[jagmanx]

I cannot see how you might be "caught" anyway ???.
Not realistic that TomTom devices are illegal but others with similar functionality are allowed .
See !y previous comment re satnav apps.

 

[Nick-Mandy]

Having known speed limits and warnings is inbuilt with most satnavs and satnav apps.
Indeed imo a welcome safety feature.
Knowing about speed camera locations is slightly different.
You can disable this and simply keep to limits.
French villages have good warnings and often signs warning of a limit ahead.
Some of the 30kph limits are a bit annoying but they are usually for a short distance only.
We never use the toll roads and are happy to comply with the speed restrictions !
Simply get in the mindset !
.

We try to comply with any speed restrictions without a warning from our Sat Nav, but the alerts can be reassuring if something else distracts you whilst driving.
I just wanted to know if, simply deactivating the alerts makes my Sat Nav legal in France.

 

[jagmanx]

Again how will they know ?
We have driven a fair bit in France and never seen a traffic police car !!!!

 

[Nick-Mandy]

I cannot see how you might be "caught" anyway ???.
Not realistic that TomTom devices are illegal but others with similar functionality are allowed .
See !y previous comment re satnav apps.

Yes exactly.
Misleading information was given to me via an internet search, and I just wanted to clarify it was a load of rubbish.

 

[jagmanx]

Also satnavs are a safety feature as they alert you ahead of a junction.
Not always accurate ????
But that is another fred

 

[Nick-Mandy]

I think the rule goes back to the days of the "Road Angel" era, well before Sat Navs were designed to do the same.

 

[SimonM]

Remember when France introduced the ruling re no speed camera warnings, Garmin (maybe others) then replaced the camera warning with a ‘dangerous road’ warning. Even those have gone now.

Copilot still has warnings for cameras in Italy.

Thankfully my days of haring around regardless are well over, I just drive and enjoy the surroundings. In fact one time coming along an Autoroute on the bike of the day, I could see Le Plod parked under a bridge holding a speed gun, I half panicked until I realised I was only doing 65 with a 82 limit. Most unusual for me those days.

 

[TJBi]

Yes exactly.
Misleading information was given to me via an internet search, and I just wanted to clarify it was a load of rubbish.

Yes, it is a load of rubbish. Speed camera alerts are illegal in France, so ensure that your satnav will not provide them. Also, beware using any device "hands on" while driving.

 

[Trotter]

Again, who told you?

A bloke down the pub.

 

[HurricaneSmith]

My TomTom retained all the old speed camera locations, and I happily switched them off whenever I crossed the channel.

In a recent free update, TomTom wiped them all from my device in order to maximise their speed camera uptake. I no longer have to worry about switching them off/on in future.

I still won't buy their speed camera update either.

 

[marchie]

Yes, how can using a Sat Nav in France be illegal? I was told having the speed detection inactive was still illegal.
I expect if there was no French speed database installed, or quite simply deactivated, why would it still be illegal?
This is almost as bad as the Breathizer Law introduced!

Using a SatNav in France, or anywhere else in Europe [and probably beyond] is most certainly NOT illegal. The prohibition in France relates to Speed Camera Detection devices, and the inbuilt warning of Speed Camera that Satnavs possess. I believe that the latest models have an auto disable feature for France [think, but certain, that the prohibition also applies in Spain, but more than happy to be corrected!]. If your Satnav lacks the autodisable, you can make the temporary disablement via the Settings Menu whilst waiting in the Ferry/Tunnel queue for France

Steve

 

[El radge]

Using a SatNav in France, or anywhere else in Europe [and probably beyond] is most certainly NOT illegal. The prohibition in France relates to Speed Camera Detection devices, and the inbuilt warning of Speed Camera that Satnavs possess. I believe that the latest models have an auto disable feature for France [think, but certain, that the prohibition also applies in Spain, but more than happy to be corrected!]. If your Satnav lacks the autodisable, you can make the temporary disablement via the Settings Menu whilst waiting in the Ferry/Tunnel queue for France

Steve

All pretty academic I think . Sure my sat nav alerts you for hazard area or whatever .
As someone said , how will they catch you ?
There are frequent changes of speed limit all over Europe , so its a really useful feature .
I have been stopped a few times in France by police . Routine roadblocks.
Happens more often in Spain

 

[marchie]

All pretty academic I think . Sure my sat nav alerts you for hazard area or whatever .
As someone said , how will they catch you ?
There are frequent changes of speed limit all over Europe , so its a really useful feature .
I have been stopped a few times in France by police . Routine roadblocks.
Happens more often in Spain

My answer was in response to the question 'how can a Satnav be illegal in France', no more. no less. The chances of being caught is a separate consideration, and one could make the same case for other criminal offences. Fine, right up to the point at which one is caught

Steve

 

[El radge]

My answer was in response to the question 'how can a Satnav be illegal in France', no more. no less. The chances of being caught is a separate consideration, and one could make the same case for other criminal offences. Fine, right up to the point at which one is caught

Steve

Probably not a 'criminal' offence but , if you were ever caught , you would probably have saved a fortune in speeding tickets by that time .
As I said , there are a bewildering number of changes in the speed limit in France and Spain when not driving on the motorways