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I've heard that people have been stopped by the police in France to check on their sat.nav. systems because they may contain data on speed camera locations. I know that the use of radar detectors is highly illegal in France but I wouldn't have thought that sat.navs. would pose a problem. Any comments please?
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We have never been stopped using ours in France (no speed camera data anyway), but I would guess that if 'le plod' have it in mind to spend an afternoon checking GB cars for radar detectors, then they will.
I expect they sometimes stop drivers for lack of GB sticker and/or headlamp glare too.
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Just back from wine buying trip in France and were stopped by French police just south of Bordeaux. They said that they had picked up a signal indicating that our car was using a radar detector. We do not have one but do have fitted on-board sat-nav system. They checked the sat-nav, then searched the car in case a radar detector was on board, all very pleasant though! They gave us the all clear but said that if a radar detector had been in the car then there would have been an instant fine of 750 euros, BUT if it had been switched on then they could confiscate the car! Be warned!
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You'd think they'd have bigger things to worry about....(e.g. collapse of the democratic proces, race riots etc)
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They're not problems - just part of French history lol (I'm French so can say it without preudice)
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The French have been rioting for centuries, and indeed are the role model in the art of civil disobedience. Only when under German rule do they desist.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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The benefits of task specific police.
The CRS are charged with beating seven bells out of rioters, leaving others to concentrate on motoring offences.
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I've read recent reports that consulting a sat nav puts the driver more at risk of an accident. When you think of it, looking down and concentrating on the screen does seem a bit hazardous.
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But you only need to glance at the screen - in the same way you might glance at the speedo, or look in the mirror.
(Assuming you have the sound on the sat nav switched on of course)
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Letter in todays Telegraph which I think is spot on:-
"Sir - Seldom have I read such tosh as that spouted by Dr Mark Wilson on satnav systems (report, March 31). For the past 18 months, I have been using the very system pictured in your article (though not mounted slap in the centre of the windscreen), and have found it invaluable. Each weekday, I have had to find my way to an address I have never been to before, and the satnav has proved its worth time and again.
Far from being a distraction, it gives me total peace of mind to know that I am finding my way unerringly through unfamiliar streets to my destination. Of course, you look at it occasionally, in the way that you look at the speedometer or the mirrors. The voice commands mean that you keep your eyes on the road, not on a map that you are balancing on the steering wheel.
These little marvels are an absolute boon. I'd be lost without mine.
Michael Gwynne, Farnham, Surrey
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Phil
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Feel the need to point out that I am not Michael from Farnham and I hadn't read his letter.
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>>Each weekday, I have had to find my way to an address I have never been to before
That short term memory loss can be a real bother.
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Have done around 700 miles in France in recent years and never been questioned, despite having a fairly conspicuous Alpine sat nav screen (but no camera detector). So it's a matter of luck.
looking down and concentrating on the screen does seem a bit hazardous
I only take a look at the screen (which even then isn't diverting the eyes much) when on a straight road and never concentrate on it. Don't need to - it's only to support the verbal info.
Oz (as was)
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I wouldn't have thought speed camera location databases would be illegal, only detectors. To write a law on what would really be banning of geographical information would be quite a something.
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This is the French Police we are talking about.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Pretty comprehensive coverage of legality of GPS scamera warning systems in
www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/faq.htm?id=47
including
"The microGo uses visual and audible alarms to alert the driver to all types of fixed speed cameras across the UK and Northern Europe. Currently microGo includes France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Norway, with Sweden, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland to be added in 2006 at no extra cost."
Also at
www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/whyradar.htm
including
"European countries which have outlawed camera detectors, include France, Belgium, Greece, Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Ireland and Norway. In Luxembourg the maximum penalty is a prison sentence of between eight days and three years. The Republic of Ireland also deals harshly with offenders and a six-month prison sentence is possible."
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Phil
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Sorry, incomplete quote - the latter refers to Radar detectors, not GPS based warning systems
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Phil
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