Driving in France - Watch Your Speed!!!
Sep 11th, 2015, 09:43 AM
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Driving in France - Watch Your Speed!!!
Though much already has been said about French cops cracking down on speeding here I think it is worth repeating - don't speed!
My son, born and raised in France, recently came back from a 5-week sojourn in France that involved a lot of driving and he was SHOCKED as how strictly speed limits were being enforced compared to just several years ago.
He says there were speed checks EVERYWHERE and no one was going over the posted speed limit.
And there were plenty of police (gendarmes) check points on roads where cars were stopped at random - to see if their registration was up to date and check also for folks drinking - which is also cracked down on seriously.
He and his mum got stopped and he had only a Michigan driver's license - the cop looked at it puzzled my son said but just waved them on.
One thing that was a problem was Priority on the Right where at unmarked intersections the car on the right automatically has priority - whilst most interesections are now marked older folks especially may think they have priority coming from the right even at marked intersections - this happened to them in Lyon where an old lady driver at a round about where it was clearly marked on her area with a yield to traffic in the round-about sign she started to dash out right in front of my son's car - they had to put on the brakes to avoid a crash - my son's uncle then unleashing a verbal tirade at the old lady!
So be careful of speeding even a tad over the speed limit in France - don't drink and drive - zero tolerance on that and be cautious about drivers coming in from the right - right or not!
Bon Voyage!
My son, born and raised in France, recently came back from a 5-week sojourn in France that involved a lot of driving and he was SHOCKED as how strictly speed limits were being enforced compared to just several years ago.
He says there were speed checks EVERYWHERE and no one was going over the posted speed limit.
And there were plenty of police (gendarmes) check points on roads where cars were stopped at random - to see if their registration was up to date and check also for folks drinking - which is also cracked down on seriously.
He and his mum got stopped and he had only a Michigan driver's license - the cop looked at it puzzled my son said but just waved them on.
One thing that was a problem was Priority on the Right where at unmarked intersections the car on the right automatically has priority - whilst most interesections are now marked older folks especially may think they have priority coming from the right even at marked intersections - this happened to them in Lyon where an old lady driver at a round about where it was clearly marked on her area with a yield to traffic in the round-about sign she started to dash out right in front of my son's car - they had to put on the brakes to avoid a crash - my son's uncle then unleashing a verbal tirade at the old lady!
So be careful of speeding even a tad over the speed limit in France - don't drink and drive - zero tolerance on that and be cautious about drivers coming in from the right - right or not!
Bon Voyage!
Sep 11th, 2015, 09:48 AM
#2
Traffic fatalities have risen almost 10% this summer after a 30 year decline, so that is one of the principal reasons for a crackdown. There have been more people on the road due to a sunnier season and cheaper petrol, and also because a lot more people stayed in France rather than going to North Africa on holiday.
Another new cause of accidents is people not just talking on their mobile phones but also texting and updating their Facebook pages. The police have become <b>extremely</b> strict about this, and the penalities recently became much higher.
Another new cause of accidents is people not just talking on their mobile phones but also texting and updating their Facebook pages. The police have become <b>extremely</b> strict about this, and the penalities recently became much higher.
Sep 11th, 2015, 10:10 AM
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interesting. I'm surprised some policeman was so confused by a US driver's license, unless there is more to this story. A policeman can't be that oblivious to what various country's driver licenses's look like, I imagine they are fairly routine in the info they contain, and a photo. And words aren't that different between English and French.
Unless he was just surprised because he thought he was a native French person, rather than by what a foreign driver's license is. I've shown mine to various French people, some in more rural areas or less sophisticated, probably, and they didn't seem confused.
Unless he was just surprised because he thought he was a native French person, rather than by what a foreign driver's license is. I've shown mine to various French people, some in more rural areas or less sophisticated, probably, and they didn't seem confused.
Sep 11th, 2015, 10:27 AM
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Yes I think that since he spoke perfect French and wads in a car so small and cheap no rental company would ever rent it out caused the perplexed look on the cop's face probably - my son said the same.
Sep 11th, 2015, 10:47 AM
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The speed limits in France, unlike the U.S., also come in "implied" type where the drivers need to know how to translate implied speed limits into numerical limits.
When you see the speed limit change from 70kmh, to 50kmh, and finally to 30kmh as you enter a town, what is the speed limit after you see 30kmh crossed out as you leave the town? 50kmh, 70kmh?
The village name sign also implies a change in speed limit.
When you see the speed limit change from 70kmh, to 50kmh, and finally to 30kmh as you enter a town, what is the speed limit after you see 30kmh crossed out as you leave the town? 50kmh, 70kmh?
The village name sign also implies a change in speed limit.
Sep 11th, 2015, 12:36 PM
#6
The crossed out sign tells you that the speed limit is back to the normal limit for that area. For example if you are in a '30' zone but still inside the town limits, it means that you can drive 50. If you see a crossed out 50 when you leave town, or even if you don't but there is no other regulatory sign, you can drive 90.
Sep 11th, 2015, 01:48 PM
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>A policeman can't be that oblivious to what various country's driver licenses's look like,<
Really? Not all USA drivers licenses are the same, meaning the poor traffic officers that stops you in France would have to be familiar with 50 different licenses. A bit much, don't you think?
Really? Not all USA drivers licenses are the same, meaning the poor traffic officers that stops you in France would have to be familiar with 50 different licenses. A bit much, don't you think?
Sep 11th, 2015, 01:51 PM
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In past years I have come across several police checks with my Michigan license and the cops just glance at it and wave me on but Robert I think is right - they probably assume it is valid if it's an American driving - in my son's case he looked French and his mom is French and that lousy car that no American would ever drive.
Sep 12th, 2015, 04:54 AM
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they spoke perfect French is what I meant and they were in a csar only French would drive - not a rental car - perfect French speaker looks French - no there is no French look except large snozzes!
