French Police

[Brianl_irl]

Whilst driving through France last year (in a car) I came across a police check point that was only pulling over campers and motorhomes.

Does anyone know why?

 

[pappajohn]

Is there anything else we need to carry for France and Spain? we will be setting off in the spring and dont want to drop a major clanger, especially if gendarmes and fines are involved.

Ginny and Michael

take a look at this for france
Link Removed

and this for spain
Link Removed
and this
Driving in Spain

a reflective jacket must be worn by ALL people getting out on the highway in spain.

john

 

[Teasy2007]

Thanks a lot John, I have bookmarked the sites. Very helpful indeed.

 

[Tony Hunt]

Just be aware that we also have very active Ministry weight inspection sites all over the UK. Our Local one on the main A31 Holiday Route in Dorset is situated just west of Ringwood. They regularly have days when they target specific types of Vehicles. Apart from the most obvious ones of Goods vehicles and Coaches I have seen them pulling in Caravans and Motorhomes. Just the other day I spotted an RV impounded in there behind locked gates. They tend to target the leisure market vehicles and coaches on or near Bank Holidays so beware. If I was travelling say from London to Weymouth I would choose a route across country away from the Motorways and major roads. As well as Ringwood theres another at Dorchester and in the opposite direction Southampton and Chichester. Best advice wether your travelling at home or abroad is get yourself weighed at a public weighbridge before you go. Our local scrap yard will weigh you for a couple of quid and give you a certificate for reference.

 

[Tony Hunt]

P.S. At these Ministry weighbridges it isnt only the Police and Vosa who are in attendance you will also meet the Customs and Excise who will check your Diesal and Petrol tanks for alternative fuels, Theres also National Insurance and Inland Rev who will check to see if drivers are paying the relevant taxes and National Insurance and are not drawing social whilst being employed. I know cos Ive been in there, luckily with an empty unladen vehicle. The worst part of all this is the actual waiting around at these places while they check everything and then having to take all your documents to a local police station within seven days if you arent carrying them when you get stopped. Needless to say when you are aware of these places locally you get to know when they are working and also all the short cuts to avoid all the hassle.

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[2escapees]

Tony raises another point that applies here in France as well. The Douane (customs) will also stop vans, and RVs to see if you carrying cigarettes and alcohol from other EU countries in excess of the limits and they do this all over the country not just near the borders, and quite often at autoroute paege.