The following guide to road rules may help you to adjust to driving in France. All motorists in France must be familiar with the highway code(Code de la Route) when they take their test, but most promptly ignore it as soon as they’ve passed. All motorists must carry a full set of spare bulbs and fuses. Wearing of seatbelts is compulsory for all passengers. As with non use of seatbelts you can get fined for using your cell phone. A French rule is you should give way to traffic coming from your right.
Archive for the ‘Driving in France part 3’ Category
Rules of the road: Driving in France
Sunday, May 30th, 2010Drinking and Driving
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009New laws in France make drunk drivers pay dearly. The blood alcohol limit in France is .05% and if you are above this limit you will get a fine. If your blood alcohol level surpasses .08% then you are in danger of getting your car taken away from you as punishment. Your car and your licence will be taken away and you will end up in a ton of legal trouble that is sure to ruin your travel plans. Police officers carry breathalyzer tests in their cars and failure to take one is a punishable offence too.
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Different Road Types
Sunday, May 10th, 2009France has 3 major road types and they are all easily identifiable. If you happen to see a sign that looks like Axxx then it is a major Autoroute, these are written in red. Nxxx refers to a National Road and is also in red. Dxxx is a departmental road and this sign is in yellow. Other common road types that are easy to spot are the white numbered municipal roads and the green forestry roads. Once you get the hang of the colors and letter scheme it becomes quite easy to identify any roads in France.
French Speed Limits
Sunday, May 3rd, 2009Speeding in France is not a good idea. Radar traps are everywhere and fines are paid right on the spot so be ware. Also do not use a Radar detector as they are illegal in France and will get you in trouble. Obey the posted speed signs. Speed limits change depending on weather and should be noted that if roads are wet limits are lower by about 10kmh. City limits speed limits are 50kmh and highway limits vary from 90kmh to 130kmh when it is dry. Keep your eyes on the posted speed signs.