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I have a fairly old Tom Tom which has fixed speed cameras on its POI for both UK and France. I read in the Daily Mail ( so it must be true ) that it is illegal to use a sat nav in France if it is capable of detecting speed cameras. Now my understanding of this is that my old Tom Tom is not capable of "detecting" cameras as the fixed cameras are on the maps that I download so I am not detecting. Is this understanding correct?
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This is a minefield. Technically, as I understand it, it is illegal over here in its present configuration. You are allowed satnav devices with speed camera databases only if the speed cameras are called 'danger zones'. I understand Tomtom and other manufacturers offer software updates to get round this piece of stupidity - one of a number of knee-jerk reaction policies dating from the days of the Poison Dwarf.
I have never heard of the gendarmes actually investigating the content of anyone's satnav device - fixed or portable.
ps: Don't forget your in-car breath test kit if you are coming over here after July 1. They only cost a couple of euros but you won't be actually fined for not having one until after October.
Welcome to the world of Alice in Wonderland.
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Is there a specific device that has to be produced on request? I have an abundant supply of expired devices (bag and tube) used before the introduction of electronic devices and as a backup. Could be a nice little earner :)
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>> Is there a specific device that has to be produced on request? I have an
>> abundant supply of expired devices (bag and tube) used before the introduction of electronic devices
and as a backup. Could be a nice little earner :)
They have to meet a certain criteria (NA ?) so would no doubt have this marked on them.
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>> This is a minefield. Technically, as I understand it, it is illegal over here in
>> its present configuration. You are allowed satnav devices with speed camera databases only if the
>> speed cameras are called 'danger zones'. I understand Tomtom and other manufacturers offer software updates
>> to get round this piece of stupidity - one of a number of knee-jerk reaction
>> policies dating from the days of the Poison Dwarf.
>> I have never heard of the gendarmes actually investigating the content of anyone's satnav device
>> - fixed or portable.
>> ps: Don't forget your in-car breath test kit if you are coming over here after
>> July 1. They only cost a couple of euros but you won't be actually fined
>> for not having one until after October.
>> Welcome to the world of Alice in Wonderland.
They would have to speak good English, and/or know their way round a TomTom device to see if you had French speed cameras on it or not. They could I suppose take your device for a ride near a camera to see. They wont. The French Police have far better things to do than to fulfil the froggyphobia spouted by the mail..
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Thank you, Geoff, for posting this. I too have an old TomTom with speed camera locations that I have used in France in previous years. We are due down near the Pyrenees later this year and I have been fretting about whether to ditch the old satnav in favour of a newer one.
Actually, I might still do that.
If "les flics" don't bother checking the devices of "les étrangers" can you in fact still get a satnav with French speed camera locations? Might as well get one if no-one cares.
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Yes, my last ( 9 months ago) tom-tom CLASSIC XXL came loaded with tom-tom speed, sorry *SAFETY*, cameras for france, and is in-fact available for an update.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 25 Jun 12 at 14:38
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TomTom site says that when/if you update your device the French cameras will be deleted. In the fullness of time this information will be available and legal as Danger Zones
"Your website that you are now offering Danger Zone data for France. Is this to replace safety camera warnings?
Yes and no. Yes because it is what French law allows us to offer our customers. No because this is not an exact replacement of the safety camera data and will not include the locations of safety cameras. Danger Zone data will include danger areas of 4km on motorways, 2km on major roads and 350m in urban areas and show hazardous driving areas. These zones may or may not include a speed camera. They include danger points such as railway crossings, hazardous crossroads and accident black-spots. The distance covered by the warning zones is dictated by the new French law.
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Just plugged in my TomTom, and been offered the following update
PREMIUM SPEED CAMERAS - FRANCE
Clearly TomTom is saying one thing and doing something else
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Clearly. There is a UK number, which rings in Holland, if you want to talk to the helpful support dept.
02073875444
I have a deeply unpleasant and user unfriendly Go 825 and shall shortly revert to my 720, like yours I think Z?
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>> Clearly. There is a UK number, which rings in Holland, if you want to talk
>> to the helpful support dept.
>>
>> 02073875444
>>
I have had my dealings with the helpful support department thank you.
>> I have a deeply unpleasant and user unfriendly Go 825 and shall shortly revert to
>> my 720, like yours I think Z?
My late loved and lamented one that was stolen. I am now running a classic XXL (same system as the 720). It lasted 7 months before it broke and I had to persuade Helpful friendly TT support department it was a hardware fault, and that no number of software reloads would make the screen spring back into life.
Mind you think your 825 is bad? I spent 4 weeks with one of my sons garmins. Horrid things.
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The daily mail report also says that if gendarmes ask you whether it can detect speed cameras just say no as they are not going to examine the sat nav manually.
Nowadays so many smart phones offer sat nav facility that you can keep one as dummy and never show your real one :-)
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It is all down to that word "detect" as my TomTom does not detect as such. So it seems that so far no one has come up with a definitive answer as to whether the word "detect" is crucial.
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I downloaded a "French Update" for my Garmin but some cameras are still shown;I am told that the Police cannot investigate within your car but that Customs officers(who can AND do operate within France) can.
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That is true! Password protection might help but this useful function has been removed, along with many others, from the GO series.
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If it helps; Mrs. HM and I have just come back from France and ended up doing part of the journey in a rented (by the AA) Hertz Clio estate due to my bike breaking down and hers sliding off the A26 on a patch of diesel, thankfully she's only slightly bruised and her bike is fixable. I can confirm that this car had sat-nav complete with speed camera alerts working.
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I assume you had AA 5* cover? As good an advert for good motoring travel insurance abroad as you can get I guess.
Sounds like an incident packed trip. Glad you both got back ok. Something to tell the grand kiddies.
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>> I assume you had AA 5* cover? As good an advert for good motoring travel
>> insurance abroad as you can get I guess.
>>
>> Sounds like an incident packed trip. Glad you both got back ok. Something to tell
>> the grand kiddies.
>>
Cheers mate. Yes it was through the AA, via Carole Nash brokers. I have to say the service so far has been absolutely top dollar; once we got out of the hospital at about 2 o'clock (she was taken for precautionary check-up) we were directed to Hertz at Calais, dropped the hire car off, taxi collected us and took us to the Euro-star station. Tickets sorted, we were on the train at 4 pm French time, in St. Pancras an hour later, picked up by a guy from Enterprise, taken to Kilburn, hire car sorted ( brand new Chevy Spark) and home in Carmarthen for 10 pm UK time. So smooth it could've been choreographed.
Now sorting out my journey back to Reims to collect my bike.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Tue 26 Jun 12 at 12:08
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Pricey premium (from my experience) but well justified by what sounds like a top service. Glad you are both OK and I hope the rest goes well, bike collection etc.
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Using a Sat Nav in France - Mike Hannon
