rinkerdink

Hi,

Went to Normandy this weekend which was fantastic but got flashed by a speed camera doing around 85 in a 70 (was slowing down but obviously not quick enough) just wondered what I am looking at fine wise if the ticket ever comes through, was travelling in a uk car with uk plates if that makes any difference?

Cheers

jonkemp

I think you will get away with it

cjm

Doing just under 53 mph in a 45 mph (approx) limit was not bright. I know 70 kph can be frustrating, often in rural areas, but in UK we have 40 mph limits in similar situations. Doubt you'll get wacked, but if Gendarmes had been operating, you'd likely have had to pay up.

rinkerdink

Hehe, it was a double limit drop in quick succession from 110 - 90- 70 as the road went through a village of a handful of houses set back from the road, then back up to 110 after 200m or so, as I said I was slowing down but got caught out by an unfamiliar road in a foreign country in the wrong side of the road after 4 hours driving. But thanks for your input.

cjm

Sounds like a hard one. That's a big reduction. Speed cameras are signalled (usually), but that was to be changed (not yet). Gendarmes are skilled at hiding, in vans, at the side of buildings, Evil Kneilvils working in pairs (sorry about spelling). There's a lot of income in them thar drivers, easy money. I drive a RHD with the kph in less obvious numbers, so I stick (mostly I confess) to 30mph for 50kph; 45mph for 70kph and 55mph for 90kph. My old bus aint terribly happy at 110kph and certainly at 130kph. Apologies if I sounded harsh; re-read my post.
Oh, and watch for the no licence drivers; the cars are small and limited in speed as two-strokers. Bit like an old Trotter Reliant three wheeler (Del Boy, a souf London bloke like yourself as I recall; I'm a west London bloke), but got four wheels these days.
Keep posting. Lots of good stuff on here.

Ka Ora!

It was possibly a 50km zone, If it was a village they are normally 50kph and from 70kph into the 50kph zone is represented by the sign with the name of the village on it. It is a easy mistake to make as you see the 70kph sign and think that is the last posted speed.

Place names in black and on white background with a red border indicate a 50kph Zone the crossed out place name exiting indicates the end of the 50kph zone. A village sign with white letters on a dark blue background doesn’t indicate a speed restriction unless otherwise indicated. They are good at putting speed cameras where people get it wrong all the time.

Well thats how I interpret their stance highway code

Novocastrian

Was it the camera on the N13 near Caen? That one's famously profitable.

rinkerdink

It was near Caen, thought it was a d road though but could of been, sneaky gits!

Novocastrian

No that sounds like the one I'm thinking of, you go from 110-90 and then after 150m to 70: the camera is about 30 m beyond the 70 sign. You're right, if you don't know the road, you're screwed. It was there many years ago that I got flashed in a FR plated rental. I never heard anything more about it.

rinkerdink

Thank you very much, I have now plenty of marriage kudos points I can fight for, that sounds just right and it is fitting that it is so well known. I feel vindicated and flushed with smug self satisfaction - until the fine arrives

kazzo

We were travelling towards the tunnel outside Rouen from the Calais side - there's a camera there and we were flashed. It was about 8 months ago and we haven't heard anything and so our fingers have been slowly uncrossed!

It's on the north side of the 'Stingray Tunnel' going south; if you've been through it and are of a certain age you know which tunnel we mean!!

loy loy

We were flashed twice while we still had UK plates and never heard a thing.

Been very careful since the French plates went on.

On a side note, wife had a 50/50 accident the other day, just wing mirrors, they went through insurance, we lose 20 years no claims

cuthbert

I was thinking exactly the same thing. I wasn't pinged by it but remember driving up there and thinking "sneaky bunch of ....."
We have one here in Geneva that's pretty similar, driving out of town towards Nyon you start at hundred but you go round a blindish bend which drops to 80 as you are on the corner and pretty much hidden is the camera.

It should also be noted that the Swiss make no pretense about it being for safety and consider it a valid income tool, hence you get things like this.

frogteach

Hi,
It very much depends on whether the French authorities will want to follow up. If they do, I read recently in the Daily Mail that a British company is buying (back from the DVLA?) information on UK motorists caught speeding on the Continent and then getting the money for a fee.
Honestly, I wouldn't lose any sleep on you getting a French speeding ticket. But beware of French gendarmes/police flying squads on the road as those will make you pay up front if you are caught.

Im_and_Er

A typo I think !