Michelin complies with France’s ‘non’ to speed camera warnings

In response to a new French decree, issued on 4 January, Michelin is changing the function of its French market ViaMichelin website and mobile applications. The decree forbids motorists from owning, carrying or using any devices that warn them about speed traps within France. Consequently, road maps and travel itineraries will no longer give the specific location of fixed speed cameras and instead indicate dangerous road sections.

Michelin says these new areas, identified by French authorities, will be shown on its maps and applications as soon as possible. The company is also providing French users of ViaMichelin GPS systems with instructions on how to deactivate the radar function in their portable navigation equipment. The deactivation procedure is described in detail on the French version of the ViaMichelin website.

In addition, it is no longer possible to download any French radar locations from the ViaMichelin website; the company has not disclosed whether its policy towards providing this information for other countries will alter. Users of ViaMichelin GPS services have also been instructed to remove the navigation software that indicates the position of fixed speed cameras in France and to deactivate the radar voice alert option when driving.