 Poster: A snowHead
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@Whitegold, er....either I am missing humour by exaggeration or you are missing the real detail of Switzerland. Warnings are issued for quite significant exceeding of limits, but then large penalties do kick in. But the scene is much more tolerant than uk in fact - see
http://www.speedingeurope.com/switzerland/
Swiss love cars. They use them to get up and down the big hills. The speeding fine system is very Swiss: be a little careless and we will talk to you sternly. Flagrantly ignore the Law and it will hurt.
Seems quite fair to me.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
@Ozboy, I’d work on the presumption that you will.
A chum got collared by the UK police for a Swiss fine. I believe there’s a UK-French info sharing agreement. |
I've heard the UK Police collect these fines on a commercial basis for the Swiss Police. They have no legal basis for doing so and you can tell them to Foxtrot Oscar... but revisit Switzerland with great caution!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@bar shaker, interesting. The detectives (!) who appeared on his doorstep were somewhat sheepish about it all. But it was pay up or be arrested next time he flew in to Geneva. (Which is a frequent occurrence).
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| valais2 wrote: |
@Whitegold, er....either I am missing humour by exaggeration or you are missing the real detail of Switzerland. Warnings are issued for quite significant exceeding of limits, but then large penalties do kick in. But the scene is much more tolerant than uk in fact - see
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When you get a speeding ticket there are at least 3 institutions that get involved - at canton, federal and the DoT from memory. For doing 30km/h over the 50km/h between two villages in Geneva (I'd wrongly assumed it was a 80km/h national limit) I received three fines, one based on my salary, totaling around 4000 euros. I also got a 1 month suspended prison sentence. If I'd had any other speeding or traffic offense within three years the sentence would have been activated - although I don't live in CH and as a French citizen I couldn't be extradited.
I suspect that is far more serious than the UK or France.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@davidof, ouch ...
Indeed the penalties ramp up when doing roughly 20-30 kph above the limit - I think the point I was making was small errors = fewer penalties than England, big errors = much bigger penalties, which I think your case indeed regrettably shows...
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@davidof, wow.. Just as well I had my cruise control set at 130kph in a 120kph zone. In any case i will go slower next time! I knew I was driving over the assumed they had a greater leeway c. 10%.
We will see what comes in the mail in the next month or so - I fully intend to pay as I will regularly enter Swiss to and from Chatel. I will update in due course.
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| valais2 wrote: |
@davidof, ouch ...
Indeed the penalties ramp up when doing roughly 20-30 kph above the limit - I think the point I was making was small errors = fewer penalties than England, big errors = much bigger penalties, which I think your case indeed regrettably shows... |
Yes they certainly do ramp up. I have the papers somewhere with all the details but it ended up being quite complicated to pay all the fines! It was my own fault, I assumed the speed limit was 80kph between the villages and there was a speed camera which was working for once. In fact the limit was 50kph and there was never a de-restricted sign. My bad and fair enough. I think the reason for this was a footpath on the side of the road and a school in one village so I assume children could be on the path at times (although not when I was driving).
So watch out in CH and keep an eye on those traffic signs. I normally cycled to work and took a different route by bike. I drive like a snail when I'm over the border now - I went through Livigno with the cruise control the other day.
@ozboy
I guess for a GB car in France you'd be ok if you didn't visit CH again... I have a French registered car. I also got a parking ticket once for touching one of the white lines in the car park (a company one but controlled by the city) - 40 CHF but with the admin charges to process it through France it was a lot more.
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Also read somewhere that Macrons war on speeding, with privatised speed cameras that there are no margins as in the UK +10% etc however I have also read that where a speed limit over 90kph applies there is a 10% margin allowed.
Can anyone clarify?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@boredsurfin, don't know if there is any truth behind my thinking but I remember reading somewhere that there is a 10kph error margin on the autoroutes, I generally set cruise to 139kph
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Don't really have much sympathy for those complaining about speeding. Seems obvious - don't speed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| madlondoner wrote: |
| Don't really have much sympathy for those complaining about speeding. Seems obvious - don't speed. |
Or use Waze 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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In France once you start getting 20-30 kmph over limit you're done for...which means I am an extremely conservative driver w/r/t speed limits.
Note that limit on secondary roads in France is now 80 as of July 1.
Have been in France for 6 years and only got nabbed twice, both times on trips to Alps. Once on that dastardly 110 zone just before descending into Beaune and once around Bonneval on the A40, think it was 110 in a 90 zone. That one hurt.
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| madlondoner wrote: |
| Don't really have much sympathy for those complaining about speeding. Seems obvious - don't speed. |
Uh, yeah.
But nearly all the times I've been caught it wasn't a question of intent but of being unclear what the limit was or of missing a limit sign. I rarely if ever get in my car with the thought of breaking the law to get there faster. The other day in Brittany we were in a village where the limit went straight from 80 to 30, with about 100 meters to slow down -- I call that a speed trap.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Pasigal wrote: |
Note that limit on secondary roads in France is now 80 as of July 1.
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only if there is no central reservation
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Pasigal, we now live in a small, very very quiet village. We drive S L O W L Y.
When we lived in the bustling metropolis of Cambridge before moving out of city limits and into the countryside my partner tanked the Touran past a camera placed just inside a 30 zone, after a fast 40 section. Paff.......white flash....
Letter, fine and speeding course. The week after the course....Paff..........at the same camera.
Letter, fine, and weirdly, the chance to do the course rather than points.
The week after the course ... I had taught the Valais Groms to shout ‘slow down..camera!’ On that section of road....but Paff....at the same camera. Partner entirely unapologetic and said ‘the courses don’t work...it’s their fault...’ and oddly, she really meant it.
Letter, fine...and this time points.
She doesn’t use that route out of town anymore.
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Poster: A snowHead
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There is only one good way to travel across Switzerland, and that is by helicopter.
Driving nazis are absurd.
Trains are among the slowest on planet Earth.
And Geneva airport is like something from the 1960s.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ha ha, enjoyed Geneva airport a lot trying to find 'the french sector' entrance  but thats different story.
Flashed in the Frejus tunnel ( I think they have 70km/h limit) this year in the rent car from Italy, only noticed when checked credit card balance and suspicious transaction from Bulgaria, turned out the the hire company changed me for passing my details to police, Ive managed to change the address since then so dont know what to expect.
Also, just recently, Ive received collectors letter, for a speeding fee from about 2-3 years ago, for the car I sold already. Not sure if this is not scam.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Whitegold wrote: |
......
And Geneva airport is like something from the 1960s. |
More like 14th Century - Dante’s Inferno.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I haven't seen any fines recently for the French camera at Bardonnex (it's no longer my job to pass them around!) but the fines it generates are evil. Another one that worked well (!!) was between Cham and le Fayet, just by Servoz railway station.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@achilles, ?
I fly out and into Geneva more or less weekly. I find it a very civilised airport. Way better than Heathrow for example.
Gatwickmis also much improved, other than e.g. Bank holiday Fridays. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| under a new name wrote: |
@achilles, ?
I fly out and into Geneva more or less weekly. I find it a very civilised airport. Way better than Heathrow for example.
Gatwickmis also much improved, other than e.g. Bank holiday Fridays. |
Frequently 2 customs officers to processes two or more flights arriving at the same time. If you don't sprint to the passport checks, you can be stuck there for 45 minutes. Not a patch on Heathrow, or Gatwick.
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@bar shaker, I think you'll find they are not customs officers? [/pedant]*
* I could be wrong, never really paid attention.
I don't recall having a long passport queue recently, but I am rarely transiting on a Saturday.
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| under a new name wrote: |
@bar shaker, I think you'll find they are not customs officers? [/pedant]*
* I could be wrong, never really paid attention.
I don't recall having a long passport queue recently, but I am rarely transiting on a Saturday. |
You are right, they are Passport checkers.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Whitegold,
| Quote: |
Never drive in Switzerland.
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Living in a rural area with a limited bus service, not an option!
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@Whitegold, [quote]
Never drive in Switzerland.
Living in a rural area with a limited bus service, I would find this rather difficult!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Maybe the French are getting more strict about this. I've been driving to my chalet for the last 10+ years with no problem. However, on my last 2 trips I've got fined on the road from Lyon airport through Grenoble. The fines are not excessive, but I'll definitely be watching the limits and sitting in the slow lane a bit more on the next trip.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| boredsurfin wrote: |
Does anyone know for certain if DVLA are co-operating with the FRENCH Government and passing on UK ownership/driver details?
and before the obvious answer comes up yes I know if I don't speed I wont get fined. (I have a clean UK licence for the last 14 years, and 14 years ago it was SP30 - 39 in a 30!) |
Interesting stuff so far BUT can anyone answer my original question ie if I trip an unmanned speed camera in my own UK registered car in France will I see a fine in the post?
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@boredsurfin, I've also asked this question in French camping forum, and no-one replied either. There were a couple of reports of Spanish fines, but they appeared to be scams.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Hells Bells, I asked on Piston Heads and no direct answer either...
Given the current negotiations and the Scallop fishing dispute I guess co-operation is on the back burner.
I read somewhere that 'we' were unhappy about it anyway, as here the actual driver has to be identified but in most EU countries the registered owner is liable, and many French cameras take a picture of the rear number plate and the Forward facing ones don't take photos above the windscreen as they only need the reg plate.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@boredsurfin, perhaps 'they' aren't even asking yet?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I twice tripped a camera between Bourg St M and Moutiers during 2016 -2017 season and nothing has come to my home address;
Some Polish people I know received the green form (in Polish) at their home address so they do get sent to some other countries.
In France the fine goes to the registered owner and if that is a legal entity (i.e. a business, not a person) then the entity must declare who was driving so that the culprit receives the fine and (if using a French licence) gets/looses the points. If the fine is paid without identifying the culprit .... loadsadosh!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lots of French nationals and ex-pats living in France got huge fines for not declaring that they were the driver when paying the speeding fine, even though they were named on the actual speeding fine.
I'm not sure this applies to non French nationals.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I am probably the last person on here to get flashed in France in UK Car about 10 days ago. I was doing 90kph thinking I was at the speed limit - the car’s speed limit sign detection system was also showing 90 and it’s normally very good. I will let you know if anything arrives.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
| I am probably the last person on here to get flashed in France in UK Car about 10 days ago. I was doing 90kph thinking I was at the speed limit - the car’s speed limit sign detection system was also showing 90 and it’s normally very good. I will let you know if anything arrives. |
The 90km/h limits have been reduced to 80km/h for the summer, to cut down on pollution. The cameras are now set to 80 too.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| bar shaker wrote: |
| Ozboy wrote: |
| I am probably the last person on here to get flashed in France in UK Car about 10 days ago. I was doing 90kph thinking I was at the speed limit - the car’s speed limit sign detection system was also showing 90 and it’s normally very good. I will let you know if anything arrives. |
The 90km/h limits have been reduced to 80km/h for the summer, to cut down on pollution. The cameras are now set to 80 too. |
What...all 90kmh roads? I have only seen reports of the limit being reduced to 80 where there is no central reservation and it's for safety not pollution
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@bar shaker, I understand this is the case but does anyone know if they cave physically changed the signs from 90 to 80 or is that lagging? I read somewhere this was not in sync and the whole debacle is being reviewed again in 2020. The speed limit detector in my car uses cameras to read the speed limit and does not use mapping data. One can choose to have the cruise control speed automatically varied to the speed limits but I prefer to to this manually.
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| bar shaker wrote: |
| Ozboy wrote: |
| I am probably the last person on here to get flashed in France in UK Car about 10 days ago. I was doing 90kph thinking I was at the speed limit - the car’s speed limit sign detection system was also showing 90 and it’s normally very good. I will let you know if anything arrives. |
The 90km/h limits have been reduced to 80km/h for the summer, to cut down on pollution. The cameras are now set to 80 too. |
What...all 90kmh roads? I have only seen reports of the limit being reduced to 80 where there is no central reservation and it's for safety not pollution |
Interesting point... that I hadn't read.
The N90 is sometimes separated by a central reservation, sometimes not. That it could go up and and down from 80 to 90 repeatedly for 30km seems madness. Also, what about tunnels? 80 either side but 90 through the tunnels?
In the UK, this would not be legal as the signs would have to be changed first.
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@bar shaker, The N90 has some junctions that are 70kph and at least two hamlets where the speed drops to 70k as well.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Ozboy, Have you updated your data recently? Mine still shows a speed limit of 90kph whereas it has been reduced to 80kph on single carrigeway roads in France.
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@bar shaker, When I drove through in July the signs had mostly been changed where I was...and vandalised.
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