France with a Tom Tom Sat Nav

[marchie]

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

I wasn't referring to the Satnave when I mentioned criminal offences. Murder only becomes serious for the perpetrator if he is apprehended ... The 'what are the chances ...' fall into that category. It's still breaking the law, whether one is caught or not ... If you support that approach, where do you draw the line? 'I was only doing 35mph, Officer'; 'I was only doing 35mph, Officer, and it was icy when I collided with the other vehicle'; I was only doing 35mph, Officer, when I collided with the other vehicle, Officer, and put 2 people in hospital', and BTW, Officer, you should be out arresting proper criminals, not law abiding citizens like me ...

Steve

 

[Trotter]

Calm down. It's only a forum.

 

[El radge]

I wasn't referring to the Satnave when I mentioned criminal offences. Murder only becomes serious for the perpetrator if he is apprehended ... The 'what are the chances ...' fall into that category. It's still breaking the law, whether one is caught or not ... If you support that approach, where do you draw the line? 'I was only doing 35mph, Officer'; 'I was only doing 35mph, Officer, and it was icy when I collided with the other vehicle'; I was only doing 35mph, Officer, when I collided with the other vehicle, Officer, and put 2 people in hospital', and BTW, Officer, you should be out arresting proper criminals, not law abiding citizens like me ...

Steve

Horse on !!!

 

[Nick-Mandy]

Blimey ..... I guess I shouldn't ask if it's illegal to scratch your butt when driving.

Stay calm and safe Motorhoming

 

[1807truckman]

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

As far as I'm aware it's just the speed camera detection that needs to be deactivated, I was there in October and nothing said when stopped on the way out of the port at Dunkirk with the sat nav switched on and clearly in view.

 

[RoaminRog]

Nick, the use of satnavs in France is not illegal.
But if you have it set to inform you where the next speed camera is, then it is definitely an offence.
Don’t forget to change mph to km/hour
Enjoy the trip.

 

[marchie]

Nick, the use of satnavs in France is not illegal.
But if you have it set to inform you where the next speed camera is, then it is definitely an offence.
Don’t forget to change mph to km/hour
Enjoy the trip.

I leave the Satnav displaying mph, Rog; saves having to think, and I work on the basis that anything that avoids reducing concentration whilst driving must make the journey safer! If I see 50kph on a speed limit marker, my brain autopilot converts the speed to 31mph, whereas, if I stop to think, I could be in trouble. It makes little sense in pure logic terms, it's just the brain was connected up on the production line when I was born, and I didn't know David of Wildebus fame, so couldn't ask him to check the circuits and fuses ...

Steve

 

[Val54]

I'd be more concerned whether your satnav is displaying the correct national speed limit for main roads (not dual carriageways) where the government reduced the limit down to 80kph in 2018 but then allowed individual departments to make their own decisions in 2020. My rule of thumb is to stick to up to 80 unless I've seen a new 90 sign, but this was the situation in August this year ......


Don't forget it is not just the Gendarmes with speed equipment, there are a lot of unmarked cars used by the firms operating the franchise since it was privatised. Best advice ...... don't speed and save fuel

 

[GMJ]

I always change the Mph to Kph precisely so that I DON'T have to think and convert. Surely it's much easier to just look at the sat nav and the road sign and see if all is in order rather than having to think about converting'?

The Garmin has Dangerous Road Areas as previously mentioned which are perfectly legal in France I believe.

 

[El radge]

I always change the Mph to Kph precisely so that I DON'T have to think and convert. Surely it's much easier to just look at the sat nav and the road sign and see if all is in order rather than having to think about converting'?

The Garmin has Dangerous Road Areas as previously mentioned which are perfectly legal in France I believe.

Sat nav displays the converted speed limit surely ?

 

[marchie]

I always change the Mph to Kph precisely so that I DON'T have to think and convert. Surely it's much easier to just look at the sat nav and the road sign and see if all is in order rather than having to think about converting'?

The Garmin has Dangerous Road Areas as previously mentioned which are perfectly legal in France I believe.

As I said, Graham, when I leave the Satnav display on mph in Europe, my mental autopilot switches to the kph equivalent without having to think, but the actual kph display doesn't look right, and makes me pause for thought, and that momentary lack of concentration could be dangerous. Just the way my brain works ...

I know that in a 50kph zone, the Satnav won't ping the audible warning until it registers 31mph!

Steve

 

[GMJ]

Sat nav displays the converted speed limit surely ?

Of course good point. That means the speed limit and my actual speed are in front of me so need to pause or think (unless I'm speeding). I also meant that I check the actual speed limit signs just in case.

 

[Lee]

Just to précis this thread, speed camera alerts are illegal on sat navs.
We're all adults so set your sat nav to suit you.
Be careful the French are probably more sneaky than Britain they have covert trailers, normally painted grey and unmarked vehicles trying to catch you.

 

[marchie]

With a fully laden M/Home powered by a 130bhp diesel engine, on a French autoroute with even a modest incline, I'm more likely to be stopped for Loitering with Intent ... And things will only get worse when I tell the Gendarme he's wrong because I was loitering within Motorhome ... 60 years after first being smacked on the back of the head in Junior School by Reggie Morgan, the Class Teacher, for making a sarky riposte, and I've still not learned ...

Steve

 

[eurajohn]

Just to précis this thread, speed camera alerts are illegal on sat navs.
We're all adults so set your sat nav to suit you.
Be careful the French are probably more sneaky than Britain they have covert trailers, normally painted grey and unmarked vehicles trying to catch you.

I have lived in France for the past 15 years, there are the occasional strange rules and regulations but not so many as the the often mis quoted or misunderstood.
Many years ago when some sat navs showed the precise location of speed cameras, France did make that particular feature to be contrary to law, the stated intention for speed cameras is to reduce road accidents (and injuries / deaths) in stretches of road that are proven to be a dangerous road area, so now instead of the precise location of a camera your sat nav will alert you to a dangerous road area, which it will normally do for a Km or so before and after the actual camera.
That feature is completely legal.
I little earlier in the thread a map was posted regarding the much publicised reduction to 80 Kph from roads that had been 90 Kph and that the departments shown had now reverted to the original 90, whilst that is partly true not totally so, if a department chooses to revert to 90 on its roads it can only do so on their "D" roads and not the RN (or just N), so as in my department the Mayenne, you will find a departmental road such as the D31 to be 90 whereas the RN12 remains at 80, this is of course further complicated by the road layout and weather conditions.
Val54's advise is sensible, unless of course you wish to help the finances of France.