Speeding in France

[triquet]

Just looking at last weekend's "La Manche Libre" (the lower Normandy local newspaper). Interesting news item: a Brit was busted for doing 213 kph on a 110 kph road (deduced a dual carriageway). He had his car seized pending court on 8 December. Mmmm makes you think ...

[WhoseGeneration]

Just looking at last weekend's "La Manche Libre" (the lower Normandy local newspaper). Interesting news item: a Brit was busted for doing 213 kph on a 110 kph road (deduced a dual carriageway). He had his car seized pending court on 8 December. Mmmm makes you think ...

Makes you think about what?

[triquet]

The French dual carriageways and motorways are very quiet (compared with UK) and can be very tempting, especially if one is late for a ferry. The French BIB have taken to running campaigns with temporary speed traps and pursuit motorcycles, particularly on the run-in to ferry ports. They will show no mercy in the event of flagrant speed violations (and I think that 213 / 110 is pretty flagrant) and will have your cay keys at gunpoint if necessary. Seizing a car does mean that the driver may well feel the need to return for the court case ...

[trashbat]

Virginia, US. Speed and go to jail.

http://jalopnik.com/never-speed-in-virg ... 1613604053

I should probably explain why going into Virginia to have fun in a car is a bad idea in the first place. See, they're crazy about speeding there. Really, really crazy. Speed limits are set absurdly low, 45 mph on some highways. Radar detectors are illegal, and cops have devices to detect them. And if you get caught going over 80 mph at all, that's automatically a reckless driving charge.

Reckless driving is not a traffic citation, it's a criminal charge, and a Class One misdemeanor at that. That means it's the highest level of misdemeanor you can be charged with in Virginia, right below a felony. The maximum penalty for a reckless driving conviction is a $2,500 fine, a six month driver's license suspension, and up to a year in jail.

See what I mean when I told you it's serious? They hand it out like it's Halloween candy, too. You drive 20 mph over the limit, it's reckless driving. They even charge you with it for failing to properly signal, or when you're found to be at fault in a car wreck. I've heard of some cases where people get 30 days in jail if they speed over 100 mph.

Other Class One misdemeanors in Virginia include animal cruelty, sexual battery, and aiming a firearm at someone. This is how the state regards people who drive over 80 mph.

[michael769]

Just looking at last weekend's "La Manche Libre" (the lower Normandy local newspaper). Interesting news item: a Brit was busted for doing 213 kph on a 110 kph road (deduced a dual carriageway). He had his car seized pending court on 8 December. Mmmm makes you think ...

As I understand it, in France foreign drivers can now be asked to pay a roadside bond against non attendance at trial. If the deposit is not paid the car is seized instead.

Virginia, US. Speed and go to jail.

http://jalopnik.com/never-speed-in-virg ... 1613604053

Scotland now libels Dangerous Driving for higher speeds (following an appeal court case that ruled that speeding alone can be used as evidence of DD - caselaw in E&W says the exact opposite), so prison is a theoretical possibility up here as well. Though the threshold for DD is considerably higher than 80mph.

[sussex2]

French roads outside town and cities are generally quiet; therefore good progress can be made by staying at or near the speed limit.
You will not be subject to the constant stops and starts popular in parts of the UK.
There is no need to speed to achieve a reasonable journey time.

[jont]

French roads outside town and cities are generally quiet; therefore good progress can be made by staying at or near the speed limit.
You will not be subject to the constant stops and starts popular in parts of the UK.
There is no need to speed to achieve a reasonable journey time.

Although their rural limits are a bit lower (usually 90kph), and a friend over there says there's a lot of campaigning to reduce it to 80.

[triquet]

Standard single carriageway out of town is 90 kph, dual carriageway 110 kph, motorway 130 kph (but 110 kph if its raining )

[kfae8959]

Virginia, US. Speed and go to jail.

Your correspondent's experience is very different from mine!

David

[Slink_Pink]

Standard single carriageway out of town is 90 kph, dual carriageway 110 kph, motorway 130 kph (but 110 kph if its raining )

Never driven there, but always wondered how they determine/enforce the change in speed limit when raining thing. It seems that it could be down to opinion as to whether it's raining or not.