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Speed limits in France wtf are they?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Forgive my language but I thought that they were 130 on autoroute except in rain, when it goes to 110. Then 80 on country main roads, 50 in urban unless otherwise indicated. But now someone has posted here that rain means the 80 (previously 90) limit drops to 70 ...

That’s true???

Please help ... AA websites etc do not state this ... but it could explain why a camera in the Jura was flashing EVERY car which went past....
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
No.

When the road surface is wet:

It is 100kph on sections that are 110 kph
It is 80 on sections that are 90 kph
It is 80 on sections that are 80 kph.

The radar don't know it is raining.

Police patrols won't stop you below 150kph in dry weather on the autoroute, the radar are not nearly so lenient.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Davidof - thank you. That’s what I thought. We concluded the camera in the Jura had gone a bit mental since I agree - how do they know that enough rain is enough. Our yeti has a bad enough time knowing what to do with its intermittent wiper function on ‘rain sensitive’....
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valais2 wrote:
Davidof - thank you. That’s what I thought. We concluded the camera in the Jura had gone a bit mental since I agree - how do they know that enough rain is enough. Our yeti has a bad enough time knowing what to do with its intermittent wiper function on ‘rain sensitive’....


They can set the limit remotely but they don't (currently) change for wet weather. For example if a tunnel is reduced to 50kph for some reason someone, somewhere can set the speed to say 55kph while the restriction is in place.

That may have happened to the radar you saw, sometimes happens by accident or where there were roadworks that have finished but no one told the people who control the radar.


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Mon 2-03-20 20:43; edited 1 time in total
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Hang on ... what about this ...

This states 70 when raining

And I didn’t know about the 50 m visibility restriction ....

https://www.annieandre.com/11-things-take-road-in-france/
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valais2 wrote:
Hang on ... what about this ...

This states 70 when raining

And I didn’t know about the 50 m visibility restriction ....

https://www.annieandre.com/11-things-take-road-in-france/


I checked on the French transport ministry website. I assume they know.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
And any one-horse collection of deserted barns which has a name has a 50kph limit, even if there are no speed limit signs.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
And make sure you stop for 3 seconds at a 'Stop' sign, even if you can clearly see the road is empty in both directions. You won't have noticed the gendarmes hiding behind the lorry in the layby behind you.
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@davidof, ...grief...all is not clear

I’ll go on the Ministry website too ...

Many thanks
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And that the tolerance in under 100kph zones is only 5kph
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Oops sorry ,,, burp


Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Mon 2-03-20 21:18; edited 1 time in total
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Again...sorry...burp


Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Mon 2-03-20 21:18; edited 1 time in total
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Sorry about the double postings / I’m on the Paris Metro and the WiFi is TERRIBLE...(London what WiFi?)

Anyway...even the French are confused...

https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/First-French-department-Haute-Marne-Grand-Est-confirms-return-to-90kph-road-driving-speed-limit
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Just use Waze.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
And be aware of the protocol around flashing amber traffic lights. Especially at a pedestrian crossing or a narrowed road (e.g. due to road works).

Actually, I don't understand this one: Imagine a conventional 4-way junction with RAG traffic lights. There's also a pedestrian crossing on your and the oncoming side. The amber lights start flashing as you reach the junction. Pedestrian strides out onto the crossing. What's that all about? Why isn't the RAG on red? Why does the junction sometimes do the usual G>A>R (OK I can deal with that) but other times just start flashing amber?
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valais2 wrote:
Quote:

....

https://www.annieandre.com/11-things-take-road-in-france/



Just looking at their second roundabout illustration - I wasn’t aware that France applies left-hand traffic there wink Laughing
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Tolerance for speeding in France is 5%, not 10% as in GB. Got caught out by camera on Bordeaux ring road. Limit was 90km, the penalty notice stated I was doing 96km. Work it out, I was done for 1km over limit. Fine payment was (untypically French) very easy
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
It must depend upon whether you have summer, cross-combi, winter, snow tyres, socks or chains, and whether you are driving on dry, damp, wet, slush, snow or ice.
If only somebody had a nice graphical representation of this .......

Smile
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lambert wrote:
Limit was 90km, the penalty notice stated I was doing 96km.

Car speedometers over-read, what speed did you think you were doing ?
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@lambert, the tolerance is just that. You were done for being 6 km/h over the limit. You need to slow down.
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lambert wrote:
Tolerance for speeding in France is 5%, not 10% as in GB. Got caught out by camera on Bordeaux ring road. Limit was 90km, the penalty notice stated I was doing 96km. Work it out, I was done for 1km over limit. Fine payment was (untypically French) very easy


The % leeway is just to make it legally safe to prosecute in any country. It's to avoid it being open to legal challenge for the hard limit when measured accurately. 1km over posted limit could be difficult to enforce, but over the prescribed % leeway and any legal advice would be you'd have to cough for it.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The reduced speed in rain is a great idea but by it's nature is difficult to police.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Speed limits seem to not apply to Belgians.
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We nearly came a cropper on the autostrada in the Aosta valley due to speed limit confusion. Were very aware of constantly changing speed limits on their roads and when I saw a 50 limit reasonably quickly reduced speed from 110 to 50 after checking mirror - about 30 seconds letter I glanced in the rear view mirror again as a lorry took last-second evasive action to miss piling into the back of us. Shook me up as it really was very close.

Next time on the autostrada looking closely at signs noticed in tiny writing below another set of 50kmph signs that it was the instructions for when there is snow on the ground. I'd mistaken that as the speed limit there and then so my fault...but v easily done, certainly to british eyes.
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I've been ticketed in France for less than 10% over limit (most recent, 86 in an 80 zone). The cameras will getcha now and again unless you make it a policy to drive like grandma.

Regarding limits: Autoroute 130 (110 in rain, or for "A" new drivers); secondary roads 80 but many with 90 as its now a local decision again...go figure. Towns are 50 once you hit the sign, but watch for 30 zones and 20 mixed-use zones. You'll also frequently see 110 zones on autoroutes in congested areas, as well as 70 zones leaving a town.

90 zones do go down to 80 in the wet but it's rarely honored. One thing about 80/90 zones is that they are often too fast for conditions, oddly. There are many tiny, narrow, curvy, mountainous secondary roads that you can't really safely go faster than 60.
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Layne wrote:
Speed limits seem to not apply to Belgians.


It's not that - it's just Belgians are the worst drivers in Europe.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
jedster wrote:
Layne wrote:
Speed limits seem to not apply to Belgians.


It's not that - it's just Belgians are the worst drivers in Europe.

It's a close run thing with the Italians!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
It's not 5% but 5kph in areas with a limit less than 100kph and 5% in areas with a limit above 100kph.

Quote:
Par ailleurs, les vitesses enregistrées par les radars sont corrigées pour prendre en compte une marge d’erreur. En dessous de 100 km/h, une tolérance de 5 km/h au-dessus de la limite est prise en compte. Au-delà de 100 km/h, la vitesse retenue est diminuée de 5 %.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Layne wrote:
jedster wrote:
Layne wrote:
Speed limits seem to not apply to Belgians.


It's not that - it's just Belgians are the worst drivers in Europe.

It's a close run thing with the Italians!


OT, apologies, but -
A few years ago we had a wonderful holiday to South America, mainly Brazil.
After being driven from the coast to São Paulo by Mrs agw's Brazilian cousin I will never complain about the standard of driving in any European country.
I've been living and working in London since 1982, 30 of those years as a cop, and inevitably seen a lot of bad driving.
Collectively though, the Brazilians are in a class of their own - f***ing nuts!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@agw, thread drift but compulsory driving test in Belgium only introduced in 1997...

1....9....9....7. !!!!!!

Explains a lot about what we see in the village in CH re chaotic driving in the snow...
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@valais2, I think you'll find that was 1977 but still much later than many countries!
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But....back to topic..

Yes Waze seems good. But better i think is my dramatically conventional technique of looking at the signs and staying within the speed limit. Quaint, I know, but keeps me alert on long drives.

So....my question (after searching and finding stacks of contradictoryinfo) is.....

Does the speed limit reduce from 80 to 70 in rain? Yay or nay?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
valais2 wrote:
But....back to topic..

Yes Waze seems good. But better i think is my dramatically conventional technique of looking at the signs and staying within the speed limit. Quaint, I know, but keeps me alert on long drives.

So....my question (after searching and finding stacks of contradictoryinfo) is.....

Does the speed limit reduce from 80 to 70 in rain? Yay or nay?


Stays at 80 according to this: https://www.codedelaroute.fr/infos-pratiques/actualite/passage-routes-secondaires-80-km-h-299.html

I agree about keeping an eye out for the signs (didn't stop me getting a ticket for doing 98 on a 90 section of autoroute last year though).
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valais2 wrote:
Sorry about the double postings / I’m on the Paris Metro and the WiFi is TERRIBLE...(London what WiFi?)

Anyway...even the French are confused...

https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/First-French-department-Haute-Marne-Grand-Est-confirms-return-to-90kph-road-driving-speed-limit

Doesn't seem at all confusing to me.

Government set a new limit citing a reduction in accidents.

This was criticised/challenged and so the Government allowed local authorities to set their own limits.

Consequently you need to look at the speed limit signs as they may be different in different areas.
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Quote:

And make sure you stop for 3 seconds at a 'Stop' sign, even if you can clearly see the road is empty in both directions. You won't have noticed the gendarmes hiding behind the lorry in the layby behind you.


+1 - got clobbered for €40-ish in Chamonix last Easter for exactly this. rolling eyes
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Layne... ‘even the French are confused’ was a feeble attempt at humour.

I work with central and local/regional government in a large number of countries and am pretty immersed in the complex power plays between the levels, of which this is another interesting example. Lots of Department-Paris tensions over just about everything.

Re speed limits, reduced limits have clear mechanisms for reducing deaths - but mainly in car-pedestrian incidents. Cars have become safer, drivers have not. A colleague in road safety research said they gave up in the ‘80s trying to change driver behaviour since all efforts failed (apart from drink-driving laws) and so concentrated on making cars safer for occupants and pedestrians (recessed wipers etc). Amusingly, he said ‘in desperation we considered putting a polished six inch steel spike sticking out the steering wheel hub - that might have made drivers drive more carefully....’ and he was being half-serious. In France, out of urban areas, there are a lot of single-car accidents (drink...lack of emotional control) and lowering the speed limit is unlikely to have any impact on stats. After a record high (3000+), the year of the speed reduction saw only 9 less deaths...

This is interesting, but of course by a lobby organisation:
https://www.wri.org/blog/2017/05/need-safe-speed-4-surprising-ways-slower-driving-creates-better-cities


Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Tue 3-03-20 22:04; edited 1 time in total
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pam w wrote:
And any one-horse collection of deserted barns which has a name has a 50kph limit, even if there are no speed limit signs.


Well, more precisely, a village name sign with a red border is legally 50km/h - unless there is another speed limit sign just after, e.g. 70km/h that overrules it.

The village sign with a bar through it means 'end of 50km/h restriction'.

A village sign with a black border has no implicit speed limit (such as 'a one horse collection of deserted barns').
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I'll add that I heard a rumour that exceeding a 50km/h speed limit is the lowest speeding offence, that speeding in a 30km/h zone is 'regulated' by sleeping policemen (or chicanes, etc.).
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valais2 wrote:


Does the speed limit reduce from 80 to 70 in rain? Yay or nay?


I already told you in the first answer in this thread.
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@davidof, thanks indeed you did ... but I like a bit of triangulation and a number of sources all contradict each other....

I’ll accept your ‘nay’ though....
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