France bans sat navs with speed camera warnings

Sat navs and smart phones which warn of speed camera locations have been banned in France.

Offenders face a fine of €1500 (£1237).

Sat nav manufacturers are advising customers to switch off the speed camera warning function while in France.

The ban, introduced on January 4, has been branded unenforceable by critics who say police will not be able to establish whether a device gives speed camera warnings.

Motoring lawyer Eric de Caumont told French newspaper Le Monde that police would not to be able to scrutinize GPS devices at the roadside because it would infringe the owner’s right to privacy.   

A spokesman for Garmin, a leading supplier of sat navs for bikes, said French government had agreed new software could be supplied with ‘danger area’ warnings which ‘might or might not’ be a speed camera site. She said the French market was being prioritised but the new software would be available in the UK soon.

In the meantime, she said riders should disable safety camera warnings while in France.

Read more on this – and on France’s plans for compulsory hi-vis gear, in MCN, on sale January 18.