French Police thead

[spitfire]

Now my trip has switched from Scotland to France I read with interest all the French threads!

There are a lot of comments about the French police, I would be interested to know the following:

Where do they normally set their speed traps, Motorways, dual carrageways, A roads or all ?

I hear that they can take your licence away if you travel 25km/h above the speed limit, what happens then? Do you need to get the RAC to take your bike home ? How do you get your licence back in the UK ?

What is the best way to keep them happy if you are stopped, just be polite ? Does speaking (or trying to) speak French help?

Sorry if these seem silly questions but I like to be prepared

[feef]

they can, and will confiscate your licence on the spot. If you have no way of moving your vehicle (a friend had this happen in his car, fortunately his gf could drive it) then they will impound your vehicle until you can get it out. If it's on the Mway, they'll take yo uto the next slip road and drop you off.

I've seen more speed traps on National routes (A-roads) than on motorways, and very rarely on D-roads(B road and unclassifieds)

Speed camera signs are obvious, and usuall mean there IS a camera about 1/2 a mile ahead.. they don't tend to have mile upon mile of pointless camera signs like they do here.

Be as polite a spossible. a litle french may help, but they are cracking down on UK drivers/riders in france who think they can take the piss, so you'll prolly have ahard time convincing them to let you off.

French drivers tend to let you know about speed traps well in advance tho.

a
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[spitfire]

[feef]

[spitfire]

[feef]

[spitfire]

thanks for your help mate!

I assume the camera sign is the same as here (the kind of bellow camera)

[feef]

[mistergixer]

You'll also tend to find that any oncoming traffic will warn you by flashing their lights at you.
Don't go too silly and you should be ok.

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[stinkwheel]

Never driven in France but on the whole, the French respect the Gendarmerie and the officers expect to be shown respect, bordering on grovelling.

I also found that the French are one of the least impressed by inept but well meaning attempts to speak their language. I pretty much gave up attempting to engage people in conversation last time I was over there and stuck with simply ordering my drinks/accommodation or asking for directions.

They are just pissed off that English has become the lingua Franka and take every oppertunity to show it (France is the only country in the world that doesn't use English for air traffic control for example).

[feef]

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Don't worry about stationary cameras, as of the moment they can't nick you and ones that flashed me (they are springing up now) were all forward facing. They aren't that easy to see on overcast days amongst road furniture (waist high blue box), but not a great worry anyway, just try not to get too many bikes flashed.

The police seemed to be all over the motorways heading North through Central and Northern France last weekend to catch the holiday traffic, using Subaru Impreza WRX's. I saw them fining a British 911 in a services. It must've been going some though as normal traffic was at around 90-100mph.

We actually passed an unmarked scamera van in Chalons, again unless they packed up and came after you're ok, for the moment. (Didn't appear to be any police support).

I've found the French to be a mixed bunch with regards to being appreciative of your attempts to speak the language. You always get the one who (quite rudely I think) answers all your French questions abruptly in English, but they are others who seem very appreciative.

[spitfire]

I think if I get stopped and the police officer is shouting at me, I will politely point out that they were happy for the British to steam into France in June of 1944.

That should sort things out

[EuropeanNC30R...]

I believe the same technique works well in Germany too, often netting you a free room for the night

My LP phrasebook: "Don't mention the war!"


Just to add what feef said about the camera signs is totally correct on their a-roads, when they put one there they do mean it With all the signs in the UK I had a habit of ignoring them.

[Modo]

Reef has good advice, also learn speed limits you are expected to know them 50kph in villages MEANS 50kph. We have blasted down many a french country road but slowed down in built up areas only to see the gendarmerie parked up with that "I would have got you" look on their faces. Most speed traps pop up during the day when the weather is sunny locals have told us, seems they dont like overtime and if they have to get out in the rain to deal with you.....your screwed

[spitfire]

French trip was tip top!

And I made it back without a fine, despite some "progressive" riding.



I have a bit of a family crisis at the moment but sometime soon I will post a full report.

cheers

[natv4]

Just to add my 2pence worth...

Usually, unless you are really speeding, its just a matter of a fine. You have to pay it on the spot, and the kind Gendarm will escort you to a cash point if you don't have enough.

I have always been warned before I saw the speed trap. If anyone flashes, just slow down. Even if its not for police, its useful; the last time I was flashed in France, I came around a mountain bend and there was a car, on its roof, in my lane.

The French I have met have been mostly curteous and polite. I think that whatever the country you are in, you should at least be able to greet and say please, thank you, goodbye and yes/no. I feel its just polite to address someone in their language, even if you then resort to english with strange gestures.
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[pwntifex]

You will be very unlucky to find speed traps in France.
There will be many around Calais to catch the Englishers coming off the boat/tunnel, but once you are well within France, you won't see many at all. French police, on the whole, are very lax.
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the warped one: This is a follow up from the thread 'my willy hurts'

[Bladeloon]

A few of us have been over for the last few years, doing the Fast Bikes Routes, and a few others to boot,

And I have noticed a few more camera's popping up, but they do seem vary far a few between, normally at road work's sites on the autoroutes and a few in town, but it seems the cops in France don't really seem to be that bothered if you go a little faster than you should be as long as you...

A: Only use the outside lane for overtaking, don't sit in it as most do in the UK.

B: Don't take the p**s to much, especially in the wet when speed is reduced from the national limit of 130kph

We normally cruise down at a steady 100-120mph, which is 160-190kph, have been passed by cops cars/bikes and they've not batted an eyelid.

The times we have come into contact with the cops in France they were doing a national clamp down on stolen bikes, and all they wanted to do was look at the bikes, and talk about their's.

I've only once had a problem with the language barrier, the French people are generally very friendly to bikers I've found, don't mind if you rock up in full leathers to a posh eatery and prefer it if you try a little to speak the lingo, even badly, the further south you go the friendlier they seem to be I think the northern French are still cursing us from 60 years ago, probably.

Overall it's a top place to go biking.

Just don't take the p**s and you'll be fine.


BL

[Itchy]

Didn't Korn vanish off to France on a Africa Twin get flashed tons of times and have nothing happen?
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