POI on Sat nav systems in some European countries is illegal?

[+Orchards Finest]

Specifically Switzerland, Ireland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

According to this news item on the Camping and Caravanning Club website. I don't know the date of the report.

Has anybody else heard of this and perhaps have more information? The report doesn’t give much in the way of detail but seems to suggest that a using a POI file for hotels, petrol stations, geocaches etc is just as much a no no as those showing positions of a speed camera.

[+Moote]

Specifically Switzerland, Ireland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

According to this news item on the Camping and Caravanning Club website. I don't know the date of the report.

Has anybody else heard of this and perhaps have more information? The report doesn't give much in the way of detail but seems to suggest that a using a POI file for hotels, petrol stations, geocaches etc is just as much a no no as those showing positions of a speed camera.

 

I think only Switzerland would be the only one that could maintain this law, as the dreaded Human rights, and Freedom of information would come into it in the others, just takes a test case in the European High Court, I guess.

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

That seems silly. Portuguese Authorities said sometime ago that showing off speed cameras and radars on GPS clearly result a more careful driving. I never heard or read that POIs with that information was illegal, much of a contrary.

 

I know that radar detectors are illegal, which is comprehensible.

[+on4bam]

That seems silly. Portuguese Authorities said sometime ago that showing off speed cameras and radars on GPS clearly result a more careful driving. I never heard or read that POIs with that information was illegal, much of a contrary.

 

If the Swiss catch you with POI for speedcameras on your GPS you'll get in trouble. I know other countries are to follow (Germany might).

I don't know about the fines but confiscation of the GPS is a possibility as is (in extreme cases) confiscation of the car.

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Had no idea of that. In my opinion, it's still silly.

[+gazooks]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Switzerland only have two cameras anyway - why would you need to POI them

Edited May 27, 2009 by gazooks

[+on4bam]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Switzerland only have two cameras anyway - why would you need to POI them

 

You could get away with a paper map and pen for these

[+Lost in Space]

You could get away with a paper map and pen for these

 

Heaven forbid they confiscate your pen...............

[+on4bam]

You could get away with a paper map and pen for these

 

Heaven forbid they confiscate your pen...............

 

I see it before me: "soooo, Vat aaar zees points on zees map.... ??

 

[+kennamatic]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Switzerland only have two cameras anyway - why would you need to POI them

 

Pretty certain last time I was in France you couldn't use sat nav traffic camera POIs. I couldn't remember how to turn the dm things off and covered quite a bit of mileage only seeing one camera. It's on the road out of Calais. I suspect they don't have any others either!

[+on4bam]

Pretty certain last time I was in France you couldn't use sat nav traffic camera POIs. I couldn't remember how to turn the dm things off and covered quite a bit of mileage only seeing one camera. It's on the road out of Calais. I suspect they don't have any others either!

 

In France they measure time between "péage" tollplazas. If your average speed between taking a ticket an paying 100 Km further is faster than 130 Km/h the "gendarmes" take you to their office next to the tollplaza for a donation to the treasury.

 

There are plenty of speedtraps though. (Un)marked cars are everywhere too especially if you're gettig closer to the border and have a non-F licence plate.

[+SUp3rFM & Cruella]

In France they measure time between "péage" tollplazas. If your average speed between taking a ticket an paying 100 Km further is faster than 130 Km/h the "gendarmes" take you to their office next to the tollplaza for a donation to the treasury.

 

There are plenty of speedtraps though. (Un)marked cars are everywhere too especially if you're gettig closer to the border and have a non-F licence plate.

 

We drove in the south of France, from Spain to Italy and we drove with an average speed above 130km/h. We were never stopped in tolls. And those POI became really handy.

[+dino-irl]

Specifically Switzerland, Ireland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

According to this news item on the Camping and Caravanning Club website. I don't know the date of the report.

Has anybody else heard of this and perhaps have more information? The report doesn’t give much in the way of detail but seems to suggest that a using a POI file for hotels, petrol stations, geocaches etc is just as much a no no as those showing positions of a speed camera.

Guess I'm in bother then

 

Seriously I've never heard of this in Ireland. The Gardai were on the radio a few months back saying that POI DBs were a good idea as they helped people identify dangerous areas which is were they are likely to be monitoring speed and therefore will help reduce accidents.

 

Sounds like a whisper that has turned into a shout

Edited May 28, 2009 by dino-irl

[+Happy Humphrey]

The Gardai were on the radio a few months back saying that POI DBs were a good idea as they helped people identify dangerous areas which is were they are likely to be monitoring speed and therefore will help reduce accidents.

The Irish police seem to have some common sense then, whatever the regulations.

 

So some (other) authorities are trying to prosecute people for making extra sure that they keep within the speed limit in areas with speed cameras. Hmmm.

That reveals that those cameras are set as traps rather than for safety.

[+PSHAX]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Switzerland only have two cameras anyway - why would you need to POI them

 

Pretty certain last time I was in France you couldn't use sat nav traffic camera POIs. I couldn't remember how to turn the dm things off and covered quite a bit of mileage only seeing one camera. It's on the road out of Calais. I suspect they don't have any others either!

 

There are a couple outside Serre Chevalier, on the road to Italy.