Police / Speed Traps/ Plod Behaviour

[Robbo SPS]

Did any of you get stopped on youre way to LE Mans this year.

Have the Police been there before. Were lots of you getting stopped ??

If so please put info on this post.

I have an idea for a helpful map to distribute with known traps on for this year.

[Kpy]

No I didn't, and I never have, - yes I've been pulled for speeding in France, but I live here. It happens. But I've seen plenty of other guys pulled on the way to and from LM. Mainly on the N138 and, I gather on the A28. You can find a map of the fixed radar traps in France on the net and I'll publish it nearer the event. New fines came into force this month with a 1500 euro fine for exceeding the limit by more than 50kph, even on the motorway. Again I'll post details nearer the event.
As for a map of known mobile traps, in my experience forget it. The French plod know about mobile phones and so on, and move their traps several times a day. They have nasty new machines involving binoculars and lasers and can spot you LONG before you spot them. Also radars hidden in unlikely places, where it's quite impossible to spot them.
Watch this space, but attitudes to speeding in France have changed from laissez faire to zero tolerance in a couple of years or three.
Happy Christmas !!  

[Robbo SPS]

Cheers , I had thought whilst in the pub  a few days back that general areas that they were hot at, may offer some assiastance.

I think a few people got tickets wher my lot did. On the entry to Sees, before the limit drops to village speed.

[Mr. Invincible Mou]

A couple of my lot gone done going home on the roundabouts on the new stretch of bypass round Bernay. It would seem this has been a favorite place for the last few years (since it was built) so serve them right.

Interestingly, they had two stops seperated by about 2 miles a few years ago, and some idiots managed to get nicked twice  

[ian murat]

sees is where several cars got stopped including the car in front

they appeared to pick on enough cars to fill the area they'd allocated.

The car in front got stopped, but we didn't, yet we were doing the same speed

[BigH]

I got caught in a trap in France once.
It was the second one along in the Portsmouth/Cherbourg Ferry in 1993. Technically it was in French waters anyway. I'm not sure what speed I was doing when I hit the trap, but both 'butterflies' were wide open. As usual, I didn't have any GPS with me to verify the speed.
There are a few combinations of sound that can really stir emotions; for instance, the sound of a racing engine at full tilt mingled with the roar of a crowd can get you shouting 'tally-ho!' almost as a reflex. Equally, the sound of long drawn out wet farts wrapped around the wracked echoing of a grown man sobbing alone in a cubicle can silence the hardest of us.
Amen.
H

[Mr Toad]

Yes - we've been stung as well - not so much the fine that is the biggest concern, but the driver not being able to drive for a few days (instant ban) than can cause issues....

http://www.beermountain.com/Buzz%20on%20French%20Road%20Law.htm

[Nobby Diesel]

Yes, nicked this year on the N138 just south of Bernay - a favourite I've since learnt.
i was the first car in a line of 6 or 7 and the only one to get a tug, despite all doing similar speeds. 90E, on your way monsieur.
If you want to avoid it, either stick to the limit or stay off the beaten track.

[jpchenet]

Yes, nicked this year on the N138 just south of Bernay - a favourite I've since learnt.
i was the first car in a line of 6 or 7 and the only one to get a tug, despite all doing similar speeds. 90E, on your way monsieur.
If you want to avoid it, either stick to the limit or stay off the beaten track.

What speed were you doing and in what limit at the time Nobby??

I'm guessing you can't have been that far over as I've heard of some real scare stories and whilst inconvenient, 90 Euros, no points and allowed on your way isn't that bad!!

[Steve Pyro]

Bungee 'Burnout' Buxton, one of our more 'flamboyant' cobra drivers, got nicked this year just south of Gace for crossing a white line on Wednesday on the way down.

He had a 90 euro fine.  The boys in bleu were hiding in the bushes and stepped out to stop all the traffic, then pointed "you, you and you" to the ones they wanted to nick.

He had overtaken some cars on a dashed white line, but the line went solid as he pulled in.

We also saw the various cars being pulled in the Bernay area.

[pretzel]

Yes, nicked this year on the N138 just south of Bernay - a favourite I've since learnt.
i was the first car in a line of 6 or 7 and the only one to get a tug, despite all doing similar speeds. 90E, on your way monsieur.
If you want to avoid it, either stick to the limit or stay off the beaten track.

Staying off the beaten track is no guarantee - in fact I think the Gendarmes regard it as a bit of a sport to find the less obvious routes.

We stay at a place not known for being on a major route to or from the circuit, and a fair way away, but still one of our guys in our convoy was hauled up a copule of years ago. (There's a thread describing this incident, but it was a long time ago and I can't be bothered to find it now...)

You have to be on your guard (or completely reckless) at ALL times.

[Nobby Diesel]

JPC - you're absolutely right, 90E and on your way is a let off to be honest. I was doing 136KPH in a 90. The plod told me in his best english that I was very nearly "big problem". My understanding is, that up to around 50KPH above the limit, you'll most likely get on the spot 90E, after that, the sky becomes the limit. The plod had a laminated copy of a grid of fines. Along the top was the speed limit, and down the side is the speed that you were doing - a bit like those point-to-point mileage charts on Michelin maps. There is a diagonal line across the grid that represents the break point between 90E and the sky limit. I was a gnats inside the line - cause for celebratuion we thought !

[chrisbeatty]

Veering slightly off-topic (not that it tends to be a problem around here!!) but I thought this was quite a funny (yet sad) read.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/?domain=evo&page=news/evo_news_story.php?id=52861

It seems that we all need to start watching out, digital cameras are on the way!!

Of course the other problem is that the picture is sent straight to police HQ so you don't even have the chance to see to the camera that night

[jpchenet]

Surely even though it's a digital camera it needs enough light to take the photo?

[Steve Pyro]

Surely even though it's a digital camera it needs enough light to take the photo?

Some are infra-red or night vision type so don't need a flash.