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15/05/2008, 21:08 JCQ Joined on 15/05/2008 Posts 2 Use of headphones on a motorbike. Is it legal to use headphones or speakers in a helmet when riding in France. I use a GPS for route finding directions and have been informed that I could face an on the spot fine. Any help appreciated as I am off on a journey around the country next week.    Report

15/05/2008, 22:13 sid Joined on 16/12/2005 Deux-Sevres [79] Posts 425 Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike. Blimey, I haven't heard this one before. It would affect driver/pillion intercoms, rider to rider radios, those bigger bikes with CD players (Gold Wing for example), as well as GPS users. I'd be interested to hear the answer to this one! Sid I came into this world with nothing; by careful management I've still got most of it left!    Report

15/05/2008, 23:05 PeterG Joined on 15/11/2005 Lancs/Yorks border - 79 Posts 287 Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike. SD, where are you? A wasted day is one where you have not laughed.    Report

15/05/2008, 23:27 Chezstevens Joined on 26/03/2006 79 Near Chef Boutonne Posts 318 Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike. Chilling on his motorbike, listening to his music whilst PTTing his mates.  Have a look on motorrad.fr and see what radio/helmet options BMW offer that should answer your question. After jet noise, a horizontal twin is the sound of freedom    Report

16/05/2008, 8:34 Sunday Driver Joined on 07/10/2005 Deux Sevres (79) Posts 2,749 Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike. Then there's all those Gendarmerie motards riding around with radio speakers in their helmets.....     Waddya mean it's only Saturday......    Report

16/05/2008, 10:20 ErnieY Joined on 05/12/2006 Nr Prayssac (Lot) Posts 2,945 Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike. Is it illegal to wear earphones when driving a car in France (it is in UK). If so then logically it should also be illegal to have them in a helmet, but if not could I wear a helmet when driving a car Could this be something other than a black and white situation   My doctor said one drink per day, I can live with that !    Report

16/05/2008, 18:10 JCQ Joined on 15/05/2008 Posts 2 Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike. reason I ask is this email recieved a week before I leave.   I had an e-mail through this week from a guy who had been stopped near the French / Spanish border and fined 105 euro's for using an earpiece on his sat nav. I have been in touch with the French Tourism office in London who have confirmed it is illegal to use an ear piece of any kind, including sat nav, mobile phones. It kind of defeats the office of usin the voice control so you can concentrate on the road ahead, instead you will have to take your eyes off the road to physically look at it.  What a load of #######! The information officer states 'Unfortunately, the ear pieces are forbidden even on a motorcycle; some police officers would probably accept it, but some others won’t.' I thought we were part of one Europe now? obviously not    Report

16/05/2008, 18:31 Dick Smith Joined on 23/08/2004 Surrey and Manche (Pays Mortainais) Posts 8,731 Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike. So it would seem that earpieces are forbidden, but headphones in the helmet (you can get those, can't you?) are OK. The only logic would be that earpieces stop the rider hearing relevant sound input and headphones don't. Sounds iffy to me - but the last crash helmet I wore was made of papier maché and was guaranteed to come apart in the case of an accident. Regards Dick Smith Nowhere is there warmth to be found Among those afraid of losing their ground    Report

17/05/2008, 9:35 Sunday Driver Joined on 07/10/2005 Deux Sevres (79) Posts 2,749 Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike. I'm a little sceptical about your guy's story because there is no such thing as a 105€ fine listed in the official tariff of amendes......  I'm also unsure about where your Tourist Office information officer got his information from about earpieces being illegal as they are widely available for sale in France and commonly used by drivers and riders.   Here's what the Association Francaise des Operateurs Mobiles has to say about the use of mobile phones and earpieces in vehicles:  Que dit la réglementation ? Conduire avec un téléphone en main : un comportement interdit Depuis le 31 mars 2003, l’article R.412-6-1 du Code de la route précise que : « l’usage d’un téléphone tenu en main par le conducteur d’un véhicule en circulation est interdit. Le fait, pour tout conducteur, de contrevenir aux dispositions du présent article est puni de l’amende prévue pour les contraventions de la deuxième classe. Cette contravention donne lieu de plein droit à la réduction de deux points du permis de conduire. » Conduire avec un téléphone tenu en main est passible : d’une amende forfaitaire de 35 € (22 € si elle est payée dans les 3 jours). En cas de poursuites pénales, l’amende peut atteindre un montant maximal de 150 € ; d’un retrait de 2 points de mon permis de conduire. Rester maître de son véhicule : une obligation générale Si l’utilisation de certains équipements comme les « kits oreillettes » ou « kits mains libres » est aujourd’hui tolérée, l’obligation générale de rester maître de son véhicule s’applique en toutes circonstances. En effet, l’article R.412-6 du Code de la route précise que : « tout conducteur doit se tenir constamment en état et en position d’exécuter commodément et sans délai toutes les manœuvres qui lui incombent. Ses possibilités de mouvement et son champ de vision ne doivent pas être réduits par le nombre ou la position des passagers, par les objets transportés ou par l’apposition d’objets non transparents sur les vitres. Le fait, pour tout conducteur, de contrevenir aux dispositions ci-dessus est puni de l’amende prévue pour les contraventions de la deuxième classe. » En cas d’accident, même avec un dispositif toléré par la loi, la responsabilité du conducteur qui téléphonait peut être engagée si l’inattention est à l’origine de la perte de maîtrise du véhicule.       Waddya mean it's only Saturday......    Report

France Forum » Leisure and Pas... » Motorcycling in... » Re: Use of headphones on a motorbike.

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