Stopwatch Toll Booths In France

[rcf]

Having just read about being timed between toll booths in Maurices guide to riding in France, i thought I would just voice my opinion on the matter.

I personally feel that this is a fantastic way to avoid serious motorways accidents. This is because it encourages those who drive fast to take breaks. Driving fast is not a problem so long as the driver is 150% focused at the time, but this can only be maintened in definate intervals. I feel it will discourage drivers from driving at excessive speeds over long distances where road focus will gradually decrease and the chance of distraction at a crucial moment increase.

This is unlikely to have much affect over motorbike riders who have to take regular breaks anyway before their ass feels like its gonna fall off.

Maybe someone can throw in a argument against this?

[ncrn]

have you got any info on this, i cant find anything and im a bit unsure what you mean?

[Ahmato_]

[h00dwink]

[The View Askew]

Makes me grateful we have those bastard speed cameras.

Efficient policing of the roads, too efficient in my book.
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[EuropeanNC30R...]

I'd like to point out this is exceptionally rare, if it happens at all. It's on the verge of being an urban legend, but there is the odd ocasional report/rumour to suggest it can happen.

[Incomplete Pete]

We've got average speed cameras slowly cropping up some motorways in the East Midlands, grrr!

[h00dwink]

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Yes, and as rcf pointed out, assuming your on a bike chances are there's going to be a fuel stop necessary at some point which will ruin the average anyway.

There's more chance of being clocked by a helicopter, that's how slim it is.

[rcf]

In response to my own question, I think that these should only be used between long stretches of motorway...not < 30-50 miles as if you think about it, 10 minutes driving at 10mph over the speed limit means you have to spend 10 minutes driving at 10mph under the speed limit in order to average out at the correct speed for that particular strech of road. IMO, this will just drive people crazy as many people can focus at speeds over the speed limit for 50 miles no problem.

Like I say, this should be a thing to encourage people to take breaks. Nothing more and nothing less.

[rcf]

Plus, another advantage is that it will be damn cheap to implement as all it requires is some additional software to be added to the existing system...in contrast to the existing costs of operating and maintaining speed cameras.

[Itchy]

[Itchy]

[kawakid]

Hint,

Don't pay the Payage (French Toll) using a card.

Colleague of mine had extra money deducted a month later off his card in a fine.

Pay with cash.
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[Ste]

No problems when there driving a couple of months ago, I paid with my card and no fines have turned up. They can't just charge your card without permission anyway, if that happens just go to the credit card company and report it.

[Tarmacsurfer]

An argument against it? It's simply another pointless technicality that allows the faceless powers that be to tax people. Motorways are pretty safe anyway in general, certainly more so than town driving in my experience (long haul circuit followed by multidrop town work).

Making people drive slower means they'll not make such good time whilst travelling, hence discouraging rest stops and making it more likely that people would drive whilst dangerously tired. Don't know about anyone else but sitting at 70 (this is assuming that the SPECS system becomes more widespread as wireless systems get cheaper/more powerful) is mindnumbingly boring. Sensory stimulation from a wide grey road is low anyway, add in the fact that there is a steady drone and little reaction required and people will almost certainly drift off or lose focus/get interested in their mobiles or stereo. This does not sound like a good way to boost road safety to me, just a way of making a little more cash.

Assuming a competant driver or rider with modern machinery (anything after the 1950s really) then speed really is not all that dangerous, particularly on motorways.
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[kawakid]

[feef]

tollboth timed speeding offences Can happen, but they are uncommon. it requires someone to manually check the times, and the systems are not in place to automate it.

IF the CCTV cameras shows someone driving dangerously, or obviously far in excess of the limit, the toll tickets can be used in evidence, but don't expect to find a Gendarme sifting thru used tickets on the offchance he'll find a speeder.

what IS more common is that if you are stopped doing (i think) 40km/h over the limit, the gendarmes will confiscate your licence on the spot, and will drop you off at the slip-road (if you're on the mway) and impound your car, unless you have someone with you who can drive.

a
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[getyerkneedow...]

[Itchy]

[Adam_P]

Kind of defeats the object of drving fast, to get from point a to point b, if you are forced to stop and teake breaks so as not to get caught speeding, doesn't it?

And when I rode down to Le Mans I blatted the toll road from Alencon to Le Mans at between 80-100mph all the way across and never had a problem at the toll point at the Le Mans end.

You'll only ever get the problem if there happens to be a gendarme sat at the toll booth when you get there, otherwise the toll people couldn't give a stuff, as long as you pay what you owe.
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[Itchy]

I wonder why there are Gendarmines in France (Military police) , when here all we have are regular cops (probably a good thing).
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[rcf]

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[Dave_ZedDragen]