Speed cameras in France

[colcol]

Just downloaded the latest maps and software for my Tom Tom GPS, and it tells me i am not allowed to use the speed camera warnings in France, because its illegal, and if the French police find your device has the speed camera warning software in it, you are subject to a [quickly work out exchange rate], $1500 fine, so Tom Tom are working on new software to warn of speed camera's in the area, without being specific, how long before some ratbag comes up with this idea in Australia, to save lives of course!, Colin.

[dehne]

i think what he is saying is the powers that piss you off will be able to fine you for using this app in australia

[colcol]

What i mean to say is that in France an application on your GPS that tells you where the speed cameras are illegal, so Tom Tom are looking at an application that gets around it legaly, by telling you there are speed cameras around without being specific, i know that the GPS's already have an application that tells you where speed cameras are, and you are able to turn this feature off, as if you would, its like 30 years ago when they banned radar detectors in cars, Colin.

[aggie57]

We have a TomTom in the office.  It kept yelling "warning speed camera" or some such thing every couple of minutes when I was driving around Brisbane a while back.  Guess I could have turned it off but thankfully my in car system doesnt bother.  I just says "you're a fool - you're going too fast and next week you'll be catching the train".....in German of course.  

[vin sharp]

Just downloaded the latest maps and software for my Tom Tom GPS, and it tells me i am not allowed to use the speed camera warnings in France, because its illegal, and if the French police find your device has the speed camera warning software in it, you are subject to a [quickly work out exchange rate], $1500 fine, so Tom Tom are working on new software to warn of speed camera's in the area, without being specific, how long before some ratbag comes up with this idea in Australia, to save lives of course!, Colin.

There is of course another entirely different aspect to this; in France as in a lot of Europe the police (and drivers) seem take a much more realistic view to speed limits and driving behaviour.  Yes you might well get busted for giong 5 or 10 over through a small village or heavily trafficked built up area, however on the freeways where 120 is the posted DRY weather limit, 140 or more is quite common without any disruption from police provided you overtake in the fast lane and are driving within the prevailing traffic conditions. You are more likely to get busted for travelling continuosly or too slow for the traffic in the fast lane which is for overtaking only. Even 70 in a 60 zone early in the morning with no traffic seems ok, unlike the revenue nazis here.
To watch the freeway traffic in Milan from our 5th floor hotel room was something quite surreal to an Aussie; trucks at regulated 80kph strictley in the slow lane, centre running at 110+, and fast lane at around 130-140kph, and then an occassional one really going.... all smoothly and on the equivalent of our Metro Ring-road!  Day and night this is just how it happens. Never saw anyone pulled up or an accident.

[Evan Bottcher]

In Europe 2011, we used a borrowed Garmin navigator.  It beeped and flashed red warnings when going over the speed limit.  Took us a bit of fiddling to find the setting to turn that off.  On the Italian autostrada most of the time even the slow lane was faster than the limit, especially on the long straight sections Genova->Milano.  Beep beep beep!

[1750GT]

Colcol it will come in here when the GPS starts affecting government revenue! oh sorry its not about revenue its about saving lives in the very safe roads in the burbs and on the highways and byways.

And isn't it strange that at these speeds in Europe that speed doesn't in fact kill any more than draconian speed limits in Australia?

Our roads and the amount of speed related enforcement is going nuts and a number of highways that could take much much higher speeds are becomming weekend carparks.

Anybody found some good roads where it a lillte lossy goose in terms of enforcement lately?

1750GT

[colcol]

When i first bought my first GPS in 2008, and i found it had all the fixed speed camera alerts, i couldn't beleive that our goverments had actually allowed this to slip through, maybe they are so out of touch with things they don't know about them, [yet], the road toll is up about 14 over last year, so its just a matter of time before the goverment has to introduce even more revenue raising speed camera's to combat the 'worrying' increase in the road toll, spokesman for the RACV, Mr John Shinybum will agree, that if it brings the roadtoll down, then he is in favour of it, i hear they actually had to increase the number of demerit points you could accumulate on your license before you lost it, because too many drivers were loosing their license, and not making a continuous contribution to goverment coffers, and putting extra strain on the hopeless public transport system, Colin.

[Cool Jesus]

Cameras are definitely a revenue it for government. No matter have much spin they place on the road toll, those of us with any ability to reason can see that a camera, having taken a photograph will not be able to slow that speeding driver for at least a week when the infringemnt noitce arrives in the mail. In the mean time, little speedy gonzales has been blasting around town. If governemnt was serious about the road toll they would place more police on the roads to actually stop the speeding drivers at the time of the breach> Its that simple, a police officer is not as economical as a camera.

As far as warning devices I don't understand why cameras (at least in NSW) require a warning sign on approach? My guess is that in litigated matters it works in favour of the prosecution that the driver had mple warning of an upcoming traffic detection device. So while these warnings are in place the GPS devices are only performing the same function. The question then needs to be asked about radar devices, why are they illegal? They perform the same function of warning the driver. I think they became illegal at time before cameras really came to being, so it was a way for the powers that be to remove this revenue robbing I mean road toll increasing device from the evil raod users arsenal. Yet we can place a 1000 bhp engine into 500kg road registered vehicles???

[Barry Edmunds]

Ken Lay, Chief Commissioner Victoria Police, has alway maintained that the use of cameras is all about road safety and not revenue and he usually says so with a straight face.

If and when I see Ken Lay's signature on a recommendation to state government that financial penalties for exceeding speed limits by up to 15 kph be dropped and replaced with (double) loss of demerit points and financial penalties only imposed for speeds over 15 kph above the posted limits then I will finally accept that it is all about road safety.

One of the issues with politicians and police command is that they rant about the seriousness of speed, drink or drug taking by drivers, using mobile phones and or texting while driving. I don't dispute the seriousness of the above and other similarly dangerous actions but why then don't governments impose serious penalties commensurate with the seriousness of the offence. Many current penalties are more of an inconvenience than punishment.

Police always say SPEED KILLS

If by some strange quirk of fate all motorists were to drive within the post speed limits every state government in Australia would be bankrupted within weeks.

[colcol]

Since all the Goverments of red and blue colors sold the utilitys such as gas, electricity, water, communications, they are looking at ways of making up that loss of revenue streams, and speed cameras are the way, if they didn't have speed cameras to rip us off, they would use some other devious method, to do it, we all know speed cameras are a con, they are all in on it, a few years ago the Police force annual pay increase was linked to speed camera roll outs, with very little opposition from motorist organisations, such as the R.A.C.V., its full steam ahead, Colin.