French speed limits. What constitutes a "rain"?

A snowHead

I kept steady 80 mph on the way up A26 which is above the "rain" speed limit. But what exactly do they call "rain"? It was kinda drizzly and wipers kicked in occasionally. I saw plenty of cars both GB and F driving as fast or faster then me, not that this is an excuse.

Should I expect a happy letter some time soon?

Didn't notice any of the cameras flashing. Are they even supposed to?

A snowHead

@Oleski, the cameras definitely flash - haven't been caught but have seen them.

I suspect that the lower limit will only apply to manual speed traps as seriously doubt the technology is in place to change speeds for different cameras based on conditions. And they don't time you between toll-booths and work out speed either!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I assume if wipers are on then it's wet but doubt the cameras (the ones not trashed) are clever enough to differentiate wet from dry. I was flashed earlier this year in my own car both in France and CH (10kph over in each case) and not received anything in the post nor stopped at border on next trip.

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I do love the way they "advertise" the speed cameras on the autoroutes with a sign about 500m before them.

Plus don't think Belgians know either about speed limits in the rain, as they seem to drive ever more stupidly.

When I was driving back in the torrential rain of either the 21st or the 22nd it was really hard work, and yes I too was going 135km, and driving a van you're in quite a good position, but I was gobsmacked at the speeds majority of Belgians were doing.

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I got pulled over once and an on the spot fine driving at 130 when lightly raining. They said, the guy who did the handheld radar had witnessed my wipers had been on..

Doubt a camera would get that but I heard from a UK cop friend that the French have HD cameras that can determine who driver was.

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If you are driving to Geneva Airport from France I can confirm the Speed Cameras by each speed limit sign approaching the border - the part where it goes from 120 to 30 - do work.
If driving a hire car the fine(s) come through just after the admin charge from the Car Hire co!
There is a very simple website in several languages which allow you to pay the fine easily. Embarassed

After all it is free

Has anyone ever received a fine in the UK post for being flashed in France / Swiss in their own U.K. registered car?

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Incidentally, I'm always surprised that Italians and Greeks frequently get labelled as the looniest drivers in Europe - the Belgians going skiing win hands down in my opinion. Lane discipline on the Autoroutes is a joy except having one of those red number plates camped up your back bottom when you are already doing 160 kmph yourself.

I have had a French speeding ticket in my own car in 2010 - I ignored it then and it went away, but if I got one again I'd check the current rules before I put it on the side.

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Two years ago I tripped (got flashed by) all 3 of the new cameras around Chambery, fortunately no follow up was received! Driving my UK reg car.
I knew where the old ones were but they had installed the new front facing slim column type ones. Embarassed

I was once told by a Gendarme when I asked what the definition of raining was that it was "when he said it was", end of discussion.

You know it makes sense.

Re the Belgian drivers comments, please don't try the Brussels ring road at rush hour in winter. Unsurprisingly, they have amongst the highest death levels in Europe on the roads.
Fixed camera fines aren't chased from France to UK, in my experience.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I’ve done Brussels Ring Road, with and without a caravan, summer and winter even at rush hour. Yes it can get busy, just like any road but I have never had any safety worries. I think that people do that road a disservice by continually speaking against it. Yes there are bound to be people with bad experiences on the BRR, just as there are on the M25, and they are more likely to report it on here. Similarly the Munich Ring Road et al. It’s a fact of life that if you are going to travel long distances the probability of hitting a hold up etc. is high. You make your choice and deal with it.

A snowHead

The French law refers to "rain or other precipitation". As an Englishman, precipitation is something that is coming out of the sky. If it precipitates snow, and the road is subsequently wet, then that was never rain...

A snowHead

I get flashed on a regular basis in France, never had a ticket, cameras seem ineffective to UK drivers still........ but if you get 'stopped' they will fine you, do not argue.....!!!! and if you have been really naughty they have been known to take your license off you and send it back to the UK, even after that on the spot fine they can fine you again in the courts !! double whammy...

so cameras you can ignore to a certain extent, but be respectfull

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

We got pulled once for over 110 in 'rain'. Stepped in front of us after we paid the toll before Calais took the other half straight into the office to pay the fine. Not made that mistake again. Hubby once had to pay the admin fee to the hire company for the one on the A40 from Geneva to Chamonix, the actual fine never arrived.

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The Police sit at the bottom of the hill, just before the last tolls on the A26 North.

They know:

a) Many cars will be speeding for the ferry/ or to make an earlier tunnel crossing
b) A high percentage of offenders will be British
c) They can radio ahead to the Police station at the toll offices and get you pulled over

I knew this very well so always set the cruise control at 2kmh under the limit. One year I had been to my in laws near Châteauroux and on the way back I still got pulled. They said I was 3kmh over as I passed the copper at the bottom of the hill. There was no point in arguing as they were going to fine me regardless of what I said. A Rosbif in a Porsche 911 was a big catch for them.

My only consolation was that I had been speeding on deserted motorways for hours, sometimes doing double the French limit. €45 seemed a small price to pay.

These days, using Waze is very handy as it will inform you of Police cars ahead using speed cameras.

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It has been a long time since I saw the police parked there, there was a complaint made by a UK MEP in the European parliament. @James the Last, pretty sure that is just a rumour.

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After all it is free

@bar shaker, don't get me stated on Waze. Other half swears by it now...me I like a map... like you he likes the alerts from other drivers

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Personally, I think that vaguely sticking to speed limits is just a question of good manners, politeness etc call it what you will. Rather unfashionable, I know.
However, there is one point which hasn't been mentioned here - some cars come with a special device which allows them to reduce journey times on european motorways. It works by allowing the driver to drive at 160 km/h or more, even where the local limit is 130 or less. Based on a recent scientific survey of GB-registered cars on French autoroutes, it is certainly available on the following vehicles: all large Audi and Volvo 4x4s, anything made by Land Rover (apart from actual Land Rovers), various large pickup-style vehicles, certain types of VW Transporter, and a few odds and ends, for example those little Jeeps with cross-stitch rear lights. It comes as standard on all the obvious offerings from Jaguar, Porsche etc and other makers of 'sports' vehicles. However, there does appear to be a way of getting this device on any vehicle, regardless of size: just buy it and register it in Belgium.

Now, where's that blue touch paper?..... wink

Belgium drivers do seem to drive far too close to each other - I had assumed it was an unwillingness to switch off the autocruise.
But....I hate to say this ( I learned to drive in Germany) I've never until this trip noticed so many drivers 6 feet from the car in front, hassling and intimidating the car ahead of them in the outside lane.- no respect or courtesy.

My real feet stamping comes from driving a motorhome down from Sunderland to Eurotunnel - where the fck are the police to stop the 65mph middle lane cruisers?
It's dangerous for me, at 70mph in the clear inside lane, to pull out to get behind them in order to pull out into the outside lane to overtake the barstewsrds.
No better those that realise they are being overtaken by a motorhome and then speed up - small ducks!!!

You know it makes sense.

Two of us were flashed in France in September, neither of us received anything. @Ozboy,

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

For the French or Swiss police to find out who you were from a camera image, assuming a UK registration, they would need access to DVLA keeper information. I believe there is an EU-wide agreement in principle to share this information, but I'm not aware of a working system to implement it. It's the cops with the handhelds you need to be more concerned about. The same sort of thing applies to non-UK registered cars parking illegally in the UK - they can usually get away with it, providing of course they're not clamped. We don't like that - foreigners coming over here, parking wherever they like, breaking the rules and getting away with it......

A snowHead

@caughtanedge, must be some kind of system in place - I got a ticket and fine from Italian Police

Anyway - seems you won't have to worry about it in France for a while

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46822472

A snowHead

@Boris, in U.K. car or rental?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Ozboy, my car uk registered

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A couple of cameras either side of Troyes must be set to register differing speeds for larger vehicles. We have been flashed a couple of times in the last couple of years in a Discovery with roof box and rear cycle carrier on summer trips. Doing less than 120KMHs in the dry as we weren’t in a rush at that point. No tickets have come through and it would have been obvious we were a car but concluded they must be able to register some form of difference between cars, trucks, buses, caravans etc.

Help!!

French speed limits. What constitutes a "rain"?

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