Garmin and French Speed Cameras

[Reporter]

Went for a 200Km ride out today down here in SW France. Updated the Garmin speed camera file two nights ago, don't bother spending your money. Of the 5 camera's I passed today only one showed up before I got too it, and even that stopped giving the danger zone and speed before the camera. 3 not listed at all and 1 gave me the warning 50 meters passed it. ALL have been in place for at least 3 years.

All in all a waste of money, totally shite.

 

[stever1]

I may be wrong (again), but I don't think garmin update the "safety camera" maps for countries where its illegal to use sat nav warnings.

 

[Wapping]

You are spot on correct. The data is no longer current and the facility is all but disabled in later versions of software updates.

The latest Michin maps display the position of fixed speed cameras, quite legally. That is if anyone can be bothered to look up where they are and then bother to remember. I can't.

 

[stolzy]

You are spot on correct. The data is no longer current and the facility is all but disabled in later versions of software updates.

The latest Michin maps display the position of fixed speed cameras, quite legally. That is if anyone can be bothered to look up where they are and then bother to remember. I can't.

I think you'll find they're 'safety zones' or somesuch rather than the position of cameras. I understood that it was illgeal to show the positions of cameras on maps - but I'm ready to be corrected.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

I'm sure I read somewhere on here that the Nav V automatically switches off Speed camera warnings when one visits France?

Richard, can you confirm if this is correct, based on your last Wander?

 

[zoot]

safety zones

In france Jan ski trip in the camper with updated Garmin and speeds cameras are not shown but safety zones (where cameras located) are and in the main, but not all, are pretty accurate. One thing about the French cameras is that they are well sign posted and the speed you should be doing is signed as well.

 

[Wapping]

I'm sure I read somewhere on here that the Nav V automatically switches off Speed camera warnings when one visits France?

Richard, can you confirm if this is correct, based on your last Wander?

I have the speed camera warnings turned off, period. So I wouldn't know if they ping in France or not.

From what I understand of it Garmin blocked (if that's the right word) the ability of all their modern GPS devices to hold or display a preset list of speed camera sites within the device itself. The devices may well ping up broad electronic 'Danger' areas, associated with cameras, just as map makers (like Michelin) can record the position of a speed camera on a sheet of paper.

I can confirm that the Nav V always shows the vehicle's current speed and the speed limit of the road alongside. This converts automatically in France into the equivalent miles per hour. For instance, the speed limit in most towns or villages is 50 KPH; the equivalent of 31 MPH. The device displays the speed as 31 (quite correctly) and the bike's current speed in mph beside it. Go over 31 MPH and the current speed turns red, a warning that you are exceeding the road's posted limit.

The map's database is pretty accurate. You can see the display change within a few yards of the road sign.

Does it know all the limits of all the roads? No, of course not. But it certainly knows most of them; one of the reasons the map sets are getting so large. It's not the roads themselves, it's the weight of data behind.

 

[Reporter]

The word now is Danger Zone not Speed Camera. But it warns you are in a "Danger Zone" i.e Speed Camera up the road. Garmin Sell French "Danger Zone" warnings for their GPS's along with and for the same price as other countries "Speed Camera Data".

But it's junk as some are flagged up on the GPS and some are not.

What you do not want is to be caught using a Radar detector in France!! You WILL loose your bike forever....... My Solicitor spent 5 years trying to recover a clients Ferrari, not even the offer of paying £30,000 as a fine worked, they crushed it !!

 

[Wapping]

Odd, as a friend simply had his detector confiscated and a (significant) on the spot fine levied. His Porsche was left intact.

One wonders what else Mr Ferrari had been up to that sunny morning, to win the displeasure of the local constabulary and the prosecuting magistrate.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Useful information, thanx again.

 

[stolzy]

T
What you do not want is to be caught using a Radar detector in France!! You WILL loose your bike forever....... My Solicitor spent 5 years trying to recover a clients Ferrari, not even the offer of paying £30,000 as a fine worked, they crushed it !!

Utter bollocks.

I had my radar detector confiscated and a €100 fine.

BTW this happened to me, not to some bloke down the pub who's brother-in-law heard it from his hairdressers sister.

 

[Wapping]

Stolzy's real life experience of the French rozzers' reaction to speed camera detectors matches my own, to a tee. My friend had the added benefit of being fined three times from the moment of being stopped:

1. For the initial speeding offence

2. For failure to have all his papers

3. The radar detector, which was also confiscated

We sat about a mile down the road, tittering to ourselves, whilst he underwent this wallet thinning experience.

His car survived, un-crushed. In fact, he drive past us (with a police escort) on his way to the cash point to remove the funds to pay the exorbitant fine.... Which only served to add to our mirth.

 

[Redboots]

These are quite legal in most EU countries including the UK:

coyote

You can also get camera sites from gpspassion under the Sécurité routière / Infrastructures heading

 

[Redboots]

Found current "Danger Zones" at lufop.net

Select your GPS and do to the DL page. Open another tab and run google translate or some-such on the page and follow the instructions.

The French seem to be heavily into this sort of thing

 

[stolzy]

These are quite legal in most EU countries including the UK:

coyote

Depends how you define 'most'

It certainly isn't legal in France, Germany, Austia, Czechia, Slovakia and others.

 

[stolzy]

Found current "Danger Zones" at lufop.net

Select your GPS and do to the DL page. Open another tab and run google translate or some-such on the page and follow the instructions.

The French seem to be heavily into this sort of thing

Danger zones are not the same as speed camera zones.

 

[swissrob]

The word now is Danger Zone not Speed Camera. But it warns you are in a "Danger Zone" i.e Speed Camera up the road. Garmin Sell French "Danger Zone" warnings for their GPS's along with and for the same price as other countries "Speed Camera Data".

But it's junk as some are flagged up on the GPS and some are not.

What you do not want is to be caught using a Radar detector in France!! You WILL loose your bike forever....... My Solicitor spent 5 years trying to recover a clients Ferrari, not even the offer of paying £30,000 as a fine worked, they crushed it !!

Suspect it was a built in radar/laser jammer as a radar detector is a simple on the spot fine and confiscation.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mick-B]

I have the speed camera warnings turned off, period. So I wouldn't know if they ping in France or not.

From what I understand of it Garmin blocked (if that's the right word) the ability of all their modern GPS devices to hold or display a preset list of speed camera sites within the device itself. The devices may well ping up broad electronic 'Danger' areas, associated with cameras, just as map makers (like Michelin) can record the position of a speed camera on a sheet of paper.

I can confirm that the Nav V always shows the vehicle's current speed and the speed limit of the road alongside. This converts automatically in France into the equivalent miles per hour. For instance, the speed limit in most towns or villages is 50 KPH; the equivalent of 31 MPH. The device displays the speed as 31 (quite correctly) and the bike's current speed in mph beside it. Go over 31 MPH and the current speed turns red, a warning that you are exceeding the road's posted limit.

The map's database is pretty accurate. You can see the display change within a few yards of the road sign.

Does it know all the limits of all the roads? No, of course not. But it certainly knows most of them; one of the reasons the map sets are getting so large. It's not the roads themselves, it's the weight of data behind.

Same goes for the Garmin Zumo 660 (same device as the Nav V?) - I quite like the reminder of the posted limit -v- actual bike speed, although it does not reflect "temporary" speed restrictions - even those in place for a year or more such as the long and boring 50mph avge section on M25 J5-J8 (or there abouts). Still, that minor gripe aside, it's pretty good at reminding me the limit I should be observing.