During my first year in France, hubby gradually introduced me some of the French traffic signs. Among them there are some quite specific to this country, for example "priority to right", where you need to give way to any vehicle coming out from your right hand side. Another one that I found weird is the warning signboard for speed camera. Isn't it just wonderful that they tell you where the speed camera is situated? You just have to slow down and respect the speed limit when you see the signboard and drive at your own speed limit after you pass the camera. Beside, you can check out the fixed radars (speed camera) and flexible radars (police with camera) on the local newspaper everyday.
Speed camera with ASDL connection
Apparently this system works well as the average speed limit of French driver has dropped significantly. The camera takes a photo of any vehicle that passes the speed limit, and send the photo through ADSL connection to the transportation center which eventually find out who is the owner of the vehicle and then send out the fine. The fine rate depends on the speed bypass. If you drive 50km/h more than the allowed speed, they can confiscated your car. Wow, now this is serious.
Since I drive quite frequently now, I started to jot down the location of these fixed radars and my carpoolers have marked down several favorite spots for flexible radars (police). However, sometime you could pass one without realizing it when big trucks are driving on the right hand side thus blocking the signboard. It happened to me several times when I was not familiar with the road, so I pray hard these days that I won't receive any saman (fine in Malay) or PV (fine in French).
First time see such sign board.. haha
ReplyDeleteI thought in Singapore we also have this sort of sign board to warn you of the radars but not everywhere of course like in France. Also watch out for those normal looking cars parked discretely by the roadside like ordinary car but it is actually a police car checking on cars with a handheld radar. :p
ReplyDeleteWe were in Frankfurt not too long ago and drove my friend's car - as we drove pass, we saw a flash - :p The speed camera looks like any ordinary traffic signal - we thought it was for pedestrian :p till we got the flash in our face. hahaha .... In Germany, the drivers respect the speed limit to a T because there is no warning signs of radar ahead.
Gosh so do you have to pay the fine?
ReplyDeleteYeah bcos we were driving my friend's car and it is German registered plate. :p
ReplyDelete