Driving in France

[EdwardTeach]

Im on the ferry on the way back from a week in Normandy. It was the first time we have taken a car and driven to go on holiday. (I previously drove in France about 15yrs years ago, en route to the alps).

The motorways are fine, but driving around Normandy was a very frustrating experience at times as their speed limits seem ridiculously slow. It wasn't unusual to be driving along an empty straight road with a 70km/h limit (43mph) or 80kmh (49mph). I understand that they have recently dropped the speed limits.
I noticed that on most roads the French really stuck to the limit, so i did as well.

I also witnessed a lot of terrible driving. Most drivers seem to have very poor road awareness. For example in a fairly empty two lane highway, when approaching a slower vehicle in the right hand lane, the standard approach would be to drive right up behind said vehicle before pulling out and then cutting back in immediately after, rather than giving the overwritten vehicle a bit of space. I also noticed on several occasions drivers indicating the opposite direction from the lane they were planning to move into!

 

[Scania]

You want to try driving in Cyprus - Northern (Under Turkish occupation) or South, despite being RHD like us I’ve never seen driving standards (or complete lack of) like it.

Junctions seem to have no meaning, people just pull out whilst clearly being preoccupied on their phones, we spent three nights in the north (Kyrenia) and I witnessed a pedestrian being knocked over each time we walked into town for (an admittedly excellent and unbelievably cheap) evening meal, the Police are nowhere to be seen (in the north at least) and despite posters everywhere warning of the dangers of drink driving I’ve seen numerous drivers in and around Paphos driving along with a can of Keo (local beer) in hand!

I’m here for another week and reckon I’ll easily top witnessing 15 accidents or incidents in my remaining time here!

 

[geekman]

It used to be wonderful - a few years ago you could get off the ferry and cruise at 100MPH all the way down to Nice. Then drive all the mountain roads at the U.K. NSL with no issues at all. Somebody clearly realised that they were missing out on a load of money, and recently the enforcement has got ridiculous - private companies using unmarked cars with cameras catching speeders, police hiding behind trees and bridges, cars getting confiscated etc etc.

They haven’t / don’t want to realise that the main cause of the deaths is people doing stupid overtakes / texting / not paying attention, which these cameras of course don’t catch.

 

[JRS]

I still say that the worst driving you'll see in France is from Brits (particularly motorbiking Brits) and Dutch caravanists

 

[EdwardTeach]

I saw plenty of crazy Dutch caravans, but no British bikers. All the uk drivers i saw were driving very slowly and sensibly!

 

[mjt]

Just came back from 2 weeks in Dordogne/Lot and Vienne. Sure, indicators are clearly optional extras, and they certainly hate that new 80km/h limit down south, but my biggest gripe was the ******** hogging the left lane on the 2-lane autoroutes

 

[Participant]

Just got back from France (Tarn-et-Garonne) and whilst the roads are good quality and 130kph limit is fine, people drive right up your derriere.

 

[Kreeeee]

I still say that the worst driving you'll see in France is from Brits (particularly motorbiking Brits) and Dutch caravanists

That's definitely true here in Switzerland. I spent the day riding around the mountain passes today and came across 3 different UK bikers who would poop themselves at every corner (the fun parts!) slamming on their brakes and taking them at 25mph, and then ride at nearly double the speed limit on the straights!

 

[jpaul]

lower alcohol limit
more stringent MOT's
better road quality
'A' plates
HGV restrictions.
... what's not to like - better in my >10 years experience.

- conjecture - French more family oriented, less selfish more ultruistic drivers.

 

[Nasher]

More stringent MOTs?

Not from the state of many of the cars I saw in Paris

 

[On Holiday]

x

 

[EdwardTeach]

More stringent MOTs?

Not from the state of many of the cars I saw in Paris

We noticed a lot of old cars. I assumed that this was becasue France has less of a debt culture than the UK?

When I was a child (80's) there was loads of old cars (going back to the 60's), but you dont see many these days. I assume this is because many people drive cars they cant afford on finance?

 

[geekman]

lower alcohol limit
more stringent MOT's
better road quality
'A' plates
HGV restrictions.
... what's not to like - better in my >10 years experience.

- conjecture - French more family oriented, less selfish more ultruistic drivers.

As far as I know, the MOTs aren’t any more stringent than ours, particularly with our new laws.

With regards to drink driving, the limit is only relevant if people respect it, which in my experience, they don’t whatsoever. Maybe it’s a south of France thing, but virtually all my friends and colleagues when I lived there would drive after having had a serious amount to drink.

The surfaces on the autoroutes are indeed far better than U.K. motorways, all other roads are about the same as far as I can tell. I agree the HGV restrictions are good, but A plates on new drivers didn’t seem to make any difference as far as I saw.

 

[jpaul]

As far as I know, the MOTs aren’t any more stringent than ours, particularly with our new laws

thinking of machine that shakes each wheel looking for suspension compliancy, the report listing braking forces too;
(apparently a new sticker system if the car is declared unroadworthy - but cannot continue driving in uk either for some faults)

With regards to drink driving, the limit is only relevant if people respect it

true & nonetheless more road-deaths .. recent thread on that

 

[Malevolence]

Congratulations, you passed the training level. Now go try hardcore mode, Portugal.

 

[mccarf]

Drove through there a few weeks ago on my way from the UK to Finland. I didn't find it too bad but the driving in Belgium and Netherlands was absolutely awful. Constant tailgating and sudden lane changes. Everywhere else apart from those two countries was pretty nice to drive in. Germany was the big shocker for me, it was my first time on the autobahn and even though people were flying past it just worked and flowed really well.

 

[RedMogg]

I managed 15 minutes behind the wheel in Bangkok, before pulling in and letting my Thai mate take over.

It's not the supercars racing on the wrong side of the motorway because it's less busy than the correct side, or the four generations on a single moped, weaving in and out of traffic that bothered me, but the fact that every single driver had a brilliantly friendly grin on their faces, as they aimed their truck for the 3 ft sized gap between oncoming traffic...

No one should force themselves into a heart attack at 32.

 

[Shoei]

Drove through there a few weeks ago on my way from the UK to Finland. I didn't find it too bad but the driving in Belgium and Netherlands was absolutely awful. Constant tailgating and sudden lane changes. Everywhere else apart from those two countries was pretty nice to drive in. Germany was the big shocker for me, it was my first time on the autobahn and even though people were flying past it just worked and flowed really well.

Agree with the driving standards or lack of from the Belgians. Just come back from a week in Holland. Nice easy drive through top of france, sheer pandemonium in Belgium & back to relaxed driving in Holland. But on the 5 lane motorway round Schiphol, everyone just driving along at 110kph was so stress free.

 

[adam cool dude]

Congratulations, you passed the training level. Now go try hardcore mode, Portugal.

Eastern Europe is a different level. Did Poland and Lithuania a few years back. Lithuania has speed bumps with no warning what so ever. Just slabs if concrete that are sump killers. On the other hand the roads are quite empty so you can drive everywhere at reasonable speed.

 

[Street]

I still say that the worst driving you'll see in France is from Brits (particularly motorbiking Brits) and Dutch caravanists

I noticed this too. I drove to Chamonix and back a couple weeks ago and just stuck cruise control on at 80mph all the way. The only cars that went flying past and tailgated were Brits. I did notice the Dutch loved their old caravans too. Brand new Audi etc and some rickety looking caravan that looked like it shouldn't be on the road.