The British government has led the way in speed camera stealth tax and general anti-car measures.  Now other European leaders have seen the huge revenue raising potential of such measures. 

France with its many good quality empty roads (by our standards) and longer distances between places, encourages speeds that are far higher than those prescribed by its out-dated laws.  President Jacques Chirac, like Tony Blair, has been keen to impose tougher rules on those that speed and introduced fixed speed cameras in 2003 to work alongside existing mobile units. 

These photos show the sign usually found before fixed camera sites (no warnings for mobile units), with the logo, 'For your safety,' reminds you of old style communist propaganda, like they are doing you a favour, rather than fleecing you.  The second photo shows the radar unit, which are usually mounted low to the ground and unlit at night.  Why these machines do not seem to get damaged as would happen in this country with such a low mounting, I do not know.  For a country that fought so hard in WW1 and lived under the Nazi jackboot in WW2, now seem to have accepted this form of repression without a fight. (No French ABD! ! !)

For information about French Camera sites see: http://www.radarsfixes.com/

Submitted by Terry Hudson

Comment by Michael Gosling

Unlike the UK, the French don't litter their countryside with camera warning signs.  Be warned: when you see a sign there is definitely a camera very near.  It may be on the right, as in the photo, or on the median. Sometimes quite close to the sign; sometimes 1/2 mile or more further on.  Sometimes placed close to a bridge or overpass abutment so it is hard to see.  Sometimes facing you, sometimes attacking from the rear.