Enjoy the French trips while you can

Someone just posted a photo of some new speed cameras on the autoroute
near Valence in a message on the VCF forum.

http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/3562/tripl9dn.th.jpg

No follow up of 'controles radar automatique' of UK registered vehicles
at the moment (luckily - got flashed twice last trip) but it may only be
a matter of time.

At least they give you good advance warning of them and just as well
because they always seem to be operational.

BTW they seem to refer to them as 'cockroach boxes'.

--

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| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Moto Guzzi Mille GT/Squire RS3 Gilera Nordwest |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
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If you get 'good advanced warning' how come you got flashed twice?

 

Rumbled - because there is no follow up of UK registered vehicles mainly
and because one was new and it was dark.

Having said that, I usually pay attention to them in case there are a
pair of Gendarmes lurking on a junction bridge.

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| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Moto Guzzi Mille GT/Squire RS3 Gilera Nordwest |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Perhaps he should think of going to the IOM instead, which has (for
now) decided not to put a blanket ban on speeding.

And, the only place on the Island where they installed a fixed speed
camera. On Ballaugh Bridge, ffs.

Oh, it got torched, before it was even a live camera!

--
Lesley
CBR600FW
SBS#11 (with oak-leaf cluster)
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18
Real burds don't take hormones, they rage naturally

 

Oh I do, and I have, many times. Even better, I have had the pleasure of
riding parts of the mountain circuit on closed roads.

No surprise there then.

--

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Moto Guzzi Mille GT/Squire RS3 Gilera Nordwest |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Strange. Three of them on a bridge. I'm not convinced that's cosher.

There won't be for a long while.

As an aside, apparently there's a case going through the EU courts
regarding the legality of GATSO's and the like. Something to do with
the fact that the Police need to be present. Anyone aware of this?

Lots of GPS systems warn you now too. mappy.fr does as well.

Never heard that before.

 

Well if it is a photoshop job someone went to a lot of trouble see
(beware large files):

http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2406/radar23mb.png
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/8425/radar32qj.png

Probably a very 'in' term amongst VCF members.

--

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Moto Guzzi Mille GT/Squire RS3 Gilera Nordwest |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Ah, I didn't see those pics. Wow.

Pretty pointless in having three radars, IMO. One would work perfectly
well.

Mind you, one of the "get out" clauses on being flashed by a radar in
France, consists of asking for the photo and then pointing out that any
vehicles next to your own could have been the offending speeders (if
there were any).

It's all down to the fact that there are no graduations on the roads,
like in the UK.

 

Aren't they the standard double sided camera's you see plonked at the side
of french roads and autoroutes, normally preceeded with a "radar control
automatique" (sp?) sign.

I saw a dozen or so of them last week. Three lenses, grey boxes, black and
yellow edging to them.

 

Yup, but just because they're double sided, doesn't mean that they take
pictures from both sides.

For example, in IdF:

http://www.securiteroutiere.gouv.fr/data/radars/iledefrance.htm

If you hove the mouse over the radar placement, it'll tell you the
direction of the radar.

 

What a useful site. Sorry to be thick but can you clarify something for
my schoolboy french.

When a location says "sens Rouen vers Orleans" does that mean on the
carriageway towards Rouen facing towards Orleans? If so the one that
flashed at me last trip isn't on the maps yet. Or, the other way round -
in which case it is (although I can't remember exactly where on the N154
it was) IYSWIM.

BTW the VCF FOAK reckon there is no chance of you getting a 'full power'
bike past DRIRE even if UK registered currently. The dodge that some do
apparently is to have their bike registered in the UK or Germany at an
address in the relevant country. Don't know what they do about
insurance.
--

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Moto Guzzi Mille GT/Squire RS3 Gilera Nordwest |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I have them insured/registered at my parents' address.

HTH

Dave

 

It means the direction "from Rouen to Orleans" (lit: sense Rouen
towards Orleans), so southbound only.

Most InsCo's won't insure for more than 6 months abroad. I've not had
any reply from my French InsCo yet (or the other emails I've sent).
I'll start calling soon.

 

My, that is jolly nice of them isn't it !
Shame they don't publish the data as a set of POI's for TOMTOM - that would
be asking a bit too much eh ! ;-)
I will re-remember that site when I pop down to Bargemon next month.

Some piccies from last weeks trip are here :

 

(fsking ctrl+enter)

Or even there :

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/dwbrown/

The Millau vidauct is a remarkable structure..... and the River Tarn is
lovely and cool when its 33 degrees outside !

 

what did you crash the green mini into?

 

Heh, I believe that TomTom POI's are available around the place.

As it happens, there's a GPS radar detector product available in France
for €99, which beeps when you approach a radar (comes with free online
updates). (Sorry, can't find a URL). 100% legal apparently.

Unlike conventional radar detectors, this one has all the radar
placements stored in memory and uses the GPS to let you know when
you're close to one.

I dunno if you can buy the same in the UK.

 

A very pretty young lady drove into me whilst I was parked at a cervix
station in Luxembourg..... a renault laguna was her weapon of choice.
Which meant :
1. I didn't make it to Cologne to pick up my ticket for the England / Sweden
Game.
2. Although I was staying at the Alte Forsthaus at the Nurburgring, I
couldn't get on track because of the damage.
The air did turn a shade blue !

 

that's not good at all. Couldn't you have just gaffer-taped it up? If
UK tracks didn't let vehicles out on them with a little bit of damage,
they'd be a lot less busy.

 

I was always under the impression that all detectors/alerters were frowned
upon by the Gendarmerie, and they upheld this fact with a stiff iron rod and
no compassion whatsoever.

PS - The Gendarmerie on bikes over there - nutters - a couple passed me on
the outskirts of Le Puy-en-Velay riding around in short sleeved blue shirts
and light trousers.