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1,700 Belgian drivers ticketed per day in France
In July, 52,669 Belgian drivers were picked up by France’s automated speeding detectors along its highways, according to mobility organisation Touring. That makes 1,700 caught per day, say De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad.
The number is lower than the previous year, when some 60,000 Belgians were caught speeding by speed cameras. This may be due to France having recently toughened its speeding laws and efforts from Belgian travel assistance organisations to warn Belgians about the strict controls. Today in France, there are 3,600 fixed speed detectors with another 1,000 mobile and moving cameras.
Danny Smagghe, a spokesperson for Touring, told De Standaard that he found the number “astonishingly high”. “Once drivers cross the border, they apparently forget the traffic laws,” he said.
Comments
The French (like the Dutch) authorities play a dirty game. When you are driving they constantly change the speed limits on short stretches of road - from 130 to 110 to 70 to 100 to 120 to 110 to 130 and so on....especially as you get close to cities. This is clearly a way for local authorities to generate needed revenue on the backs of motorists.
I recently got two speeding fines whilst driving in France. Both were for €45. One was for exceeding the limit by 4 km and the other for 7 km. If I didn't pay the fines in time, they rose to €68 and then subsequently to €180. This is clearly an abuse of state power and has nothing to do with safe driving and much more to do with gauging of motorists because they are easy (moving) targets...
It is not all too surprising that Belgian drivers push the pedal once they leave their country. At 120 km/h it is one of the lowest in the EU. 5 other countries have such a low limit, and only 2 (UK and Cyprus) have one even lower.
With 12 countries having imposed a speed limit at 130, this is clearly the European average. Two other EU Member States even have higher ones, like Bulgaria and Poland, topping at 140. Germany has no formal general speed limit, using local limitations and a general non-binding recommendation of 130.
Cars and its security features have clearly developped over the last 30 years, since the first speed limits were introduced. 130 seems like a reasonsable one, while 120 or below seems too low. Belgium should review its limit. A generalized speed limit of 130 all over the EU would be a good thing, harmonizing the limits and allowing drivers to stick to the same rules wherever they go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8LanF60kcI
@Passive Energy
Have you ever driven on a Belgian road?
Belgian drivers can't stay safe even at 30kmh.
Whilst 120kmh is frustrating, it's more than enough given the poor standard of driving in Belgium compared to other European nations.