Penalty Points - speeding

I’ve found that French drivers are more aware of, and behave more courteously towards, cyclists and motorcyclists than UK drivers.

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Something to do with cycling being a French national sport perhaps Brian?

The permis de conduire has existed since 1922 though, my great-grandmother got her licence that year aged 18 :grinning: I don’t think anyone of her generation is still around let alone on the road.

Almost certainly, Graham - but I’m surprised at how well they respond to motorcyclists. In the UK I regularly had drivers trying to block perfectly legitimate overtaking manoeuvres, overtaking me then cutting in and braking etc.

I’m sure she was a careful driver - and probably dispatched a few German soldiers along the way…

I think it’s at least partly resentment of anybody who can make progress on congested roads. I did notice however a more friendly attitude toward motorcyclists from drivers and people in general on trips to Holland and Belgium. Good to hear cyclists and bikers are treated courteously in France.

Having perused this thread yesterday I thought I’d log on to see if I’d any points (forgetting of course that I’d have received a fine too). It was bit convoluted and I had to log on through the Impots etc. but finally the screen revealed it - 12 points - forgetting that you start off with 12 here I freaked, I shouldn’t be driving I thought. As it dawned on me I reached for a restorative gulp of a very nice rosé I’m exploring at the moment and relaxed.

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I think you’re safer on French roads as both a cyclist and motorcyclist but I haven’t done either in the UK for nearly years! 8000km a year on the bike (bicycle) and not too much to complain about, can’t imagine cycling in the UK now :open_mouth:

not sure about their care of motorcyclists. I was on 2 wheels here till it got nicked.

Having undergone anti-sniper training at work in case of having to visit Iraq, and having developed commando self-defence bike skills through 9 years of commuting to work on a motorbike in London, I do things like make sure I maintain car speed and occupy the road squarely like a car as advised whilst remaining hugely visible.

Most of the time French motorists on my main route here would come up far too close before overtaking, would pull out then cut back in in front, far too close. Leaving no account for stopping distance and my speed being close to theirs. They did this so routinely I later developed a tactic of throttling off as soon as they pulled out even though I shouldn’t have had to, because I knew they wouldn’t leave enough space pulling back in. On a wet road especially getting cut off like that could be the end of you

So No I don’t think too much of the average French motorist taking apprppriate care for motorbikes

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Bikers have no problem with priority right, it seems it only applies to the spamcan jockeys.

Sounds like sound advice. Especially in the larger cities anywhere.

Btw did you know ‘filtering’ on a motorbike in France has now been made illegal.

Yes, it isnt allowed in most european countries for some years, but the lads still do it.

In my Invasion Beaches battlefield guiding days we always ended up in Paris. The hotel was 2/3 the way down the Champs-Élysées from L’Étoile, turn left. My clients were always Americans. French behaviour at the wheel had already got them in a state of high anxiety, so going round L’Étoile was the ultimate horror.

There was always a lot of shrieking - nine terrified Americans all screaming at once.

“Chris! this guy on the right, he’s trying to get thru’ my window!” “There’s a maniac on your left!” One year it was so bad I went round again! Such fun!

The problem with priority to the right is some people just do it anyway. I came thru’ this bridge just as a woman pulled out of the car park, where the silver Citroen is. She didn’t look in my direction. In fact, as she pulled across my bows I saw the back of her head!

There’s no earthly reason why priority to the right should continue to exist.

Talking of points, I have a Spanish driving licence. Perfectly legal all over EU, inc FR. I have been nicked for speeding once. Being FR reg, I got the ticket and I paid up, as you do … But where are any points logged? Giant Gilles says as it’s a Spanish licence, I won’t have any on the FR system. As the ping was in FR, it’s not likey to be in ES.

I was nicked in Gupuzkoa. The FR passed on my address and the ticket duly arrived. Do I now have a point on the Spanish system?

I always assumed the point of it in towns is to stop people driving along the main drag in the way you do when you know you have priority, ie quite quickly and expecting everyone to get out of your way. It does effectively slow traffic down when they know they don’t have priority and they have to slow down and check at each junction.

I just read the explanation by Tech Guru Graham, how a horse drawn vehicle, approaching a junction, the horse would be well out into the road before the driver could see to his left. Makes sense.

I know there’s a lot of tractor in front of its driver these days but I don’t think that justifies retaining a rule that’s a hang-over from the days of horse drawn transport…

If rear-view video cams help in that direction, how about left and right cameras for vehicles with the driver’s cab set well back?

Now talking about speed cameras, how about this for sneaky?

This house is about 1km from the sign ending the town limit of St. Amand Village, a ‘suburb’ of Torigni-s-Vire. It’s the first 1km or so of an 8 km straight.
image

As I drove past it I thought I saw the reflection of a lens set back in the open window of the right of the two in the roof.

I was so exercised by this that I drove round the block and went past again at +/- 60kph. Sure enough, set back from the window so the lens did not protrude, there was the distictive square shape of a speed camera lens, looking down the road.

In say that’s foul play.

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I agree! Are you sure it is that though and not a CCTV / security cam for the house? I thought they HAD to tell you when there is a camera, and they certainly do here every time (not quite as much as in Oz where you get about 3 signs warning of an upcoming camera before you get to it :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:)

I pass this house every time I go anywhere. I pass it on the right, being able to see the roof windows, on the way home. I have never seen either window open before.

I gave it a good butcher’s on the way back from Lidl [again … wine fest!] just now and I saw the lens of a camera. It’s still there. Cameras being my day-job, I recognise one when I see one.

It’s true that it may be part of some traffic monitoring exercise but I tell you what - you go past it at 100kph and find out! I ain’t gonna.

I did think about giving it a cheery wave but might get pinged fo “not in control of the vehicle”