DRIVING IN FRANCE. 9 biggest differences driving in France compared to the UK.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มิ.ย. 2024
- Driving in France, whilst similar to the UK can also be very different. It's not just about driving on the right, there are some fundamental differences between the UK and France. Here are my top 9 differences between driving in France vs the UK to help make your next visit to France by car even easier.
If you bear these in mind on your next trip, you'll find France a far more relaxing driving experience compared to England.
Bonjour! I'm Richard and I moved to France with my wife Mandy, in 2003. Since then we've had 3 children, navigated the education system from maternelle to Lycee, purchased 5 properties (we've moved a lot...) started a business and explored the medical care on offer in a variety of ways. And two of our kids are now have French nationality. Join us, as we share our experience and offer useful tips to make your holidays or life in France even more enjoyable. It's a fabulous country!
0:00 Intro
1:04 Stopping at a Stop Sign in France - 9
1:46 Use of Indicators in France - 8
2:29 Crossings after traffic lights in France - 7
3:27 Roundabout lane control in France - 6
4:41 Stress & drivers stopping for a chat in France - 5
6:12 Cyclists & space in France - 4
7:20 Indicators on the motorway in France - 3
8:33 Zebra crossings in France - 2
9:45 Priority to the right when driving in France - 1
11:30 Goodbye until next time!
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Hello, as a frenchman, I must say I hate those obnoxious people stopping the traffic just for chat with someone they knows. It's a lack of respect for other car drivers.
Having moved to France from a very populated area of the UK, I also thought that initially. Whilst I don't do it myself, I've grown to like the fact that it reflects a slower pace of life where people have more time for each other. That's a good thing. That said, I couldn't see it being tolerated in cities so calmly.
Exactly, the people behind you might be late for work, a job interview or a flight, it's rude of unnecessarily hold everyone up
The law in the UK is the same as regards stopping at a stop sign. You must stop. Unlike a give way sign when you can slowly keep moving. Stop means stop hence the double unbroken white lines in the road as well.
Thanks for that. We haven't lived in the UK for a long time now (we moved in 2003), however, my memory is that many / most people didn't stop! Or maybe that's a reflection of my driving habits back then 😉! Either way, I hope people stay safe on the roads in the UK.
Spookily I am looking to move to France myself after the Brexit fiasco! It is the same as in France people don't pay too much heed to stopping if they the visibility is clear enough to keep moving but if that policeman was watching....Good luck!
Actually I think people are pretty good here about stopping at a stop sign. It may be different in cities mind you. In terms of moving here / living here....we only have good things to say - i'd encourage you to take the plunge. Schools are a little more prescriptive than the UK I think though.
To pass your test in UK at a Stop sign you must Stop and apply the handbrake. If you dont its a fail!
The difference is that in the UK stop-signs are extremely rare compared to the triangular give-way signs (where one does not have to stop).
Having lived in France for many years, I can honestly say that this is the best explanation of French roads I have seen.
In England it's illegal not to come to a complete stop at a stop sign regardless.
In France too....like in England, that's not what always happens though 😉
You always have to stop at a stop sign regardless if you're in the UK or France or enywhere. If is a give way sign you don't need to stop
The difference is you rarely see a stop sign in the UK, in France they are everywhere
One thing you didn't mention, is that if you see an accident, you have to stop and help. It's a law, although obviously unenforceable to a large degree. It's part of the French psyche, la solidarité, or mutuality in English. I wish this applied everywhere. I've struggled uphill with my bike (walking) and it's surprising how often drivers will offer me a lift. Not had an accident, or in distress. Never happened back in the UK
Absolutely - and how it should be right? As regards bikes here, aren't people so helpful! The respect on a bike here is black and white compared to the UK in my opinion. Thanks for commenting!
@@camelscanswim9414 That's funny because in my opinion we don't really give cyclists the respect they deserve.
The rule when taking over a cyclist is you must leave at least a 1.5m gap on country roads and 0.5m in cities and towns (in agglomérations, indicated by the white rectangular bordered with red with the name of the township)
Thank you for this. I’m 20, only passed 2 years ago, and might have to drive in France this summer. Very nervous but glad there are videos like this out there!
You can do it!
@@camelscanswim9414 thanks!
Very helpful..
What about driving on the right?
Great stuff, beautifully explained. Meeting you in France would be an invaluable treat.
I have lived in Brittany for 16 years and in the UK I drove HGVs for 40+ years, I would say the standard of driving is much better, people have more time the cities are the same as the UK but in the country it's much more relaxed, with regards to give way to the right if you are on a main road and see a sign with + you have right of way but if it's a sign with a X you give way to the right, our marie said that after they went back to the give way to the right traffic had slowed down through the town ( I think that's because no one knows who has right of way) enjoy your time in France and stay safe.
I think you're right about no one knowing who has right of way! That said, I do sometimes come across people who obviously do know they have right of way and absolutely use is! Sometimes the result can be risky if the other party isn't so knowledgeable.
Everywhere is right over left unless otherwise signedliced
Thank you. Really helpful advice.
Excellent advice, lucidly put. Thank you. I'm driving from Toulouse airport to Condom, Le Gers in a couple of weeks time. I drove in le Gers last November - made a driver irate who came out of what I thought was side street! - the priorite a droite thing which you mention. Thank you - you explained it well. I'll keep my eyes peeled.
Thank you so much - very nicely explained. and super helpful - cheers.
You're very welcome!
Regarding roundabouts (rond-points), there are two rules, 1) when you approach a roundabout drive slowly or even stop before entering it, remember that vehicles inside the roundabout have priority, 2) once you are in the roundabout, don't forget to indicate when you want to get out of it. Simple.
Oh how I wish everyone understood that, and that all roundabouts worked that way! Recently my way (specifically Moulin à Vent, Perpignan) I've found a whole raft of roundabouts where vehicles entering the roudabout have priority! I though those style of roundabouts had disappeared 20 years ago!
It's the same in England, just the mayority of the public in the UK think that the indicator is an option
Excellent video thankyou!
Zebra crossings in Brittany are much safer than in the rest of France. Politeness prevails and you normally wave an acknowledgement to the driver when he/she stops.
Exactly how it should be! Continue like that Brittany!
Priority to the right is in power all over continental Europe. If nothing is indicated otherwise, give way to the vehicle approaching from the right.
Another thing u forgot to mention is that u shouldn’t trust a green light in France. Running red lights is very common (especially in Paris) so it’s worth double checking before proceeding through.
One day I almost got hit by a motorcycle (on my bicycle) blasting through a blind intersection. Only saw him at the very last second. I could have been killed!
An observation of French drivers, in traffic jams on major roads many drivers will pull over allowing motorcycles to filter. Not sure if filtering is now illegal in France as I believe it is in Switzerland. Swiss drivers (some) would actively block a motorcycle making progress in a jam.
If there has been an accident on the autoroute, cars will pull over to the margins of the lanes allowing access for emergency vehicles, I might be confusing France with Germany?
Very well explained
When Richard A, Pops his Clogs your in with a good chance m8 :D. Excellent vidio ;)
Thanks for the tips. We moved to France 6 months ago and it's taken us that long to feel comfortable driving here! I believe there is a yellow diamond shaped sign which indicates an area where there is priorité à droite?
Also I've noticed that zebra crossings are often placed just as you're coming out of a roundabout, where you would normally be increasing your speed. Another French road quirk to look out for 🙂
I know the signs you're referring to although I've never know what they meant! On looking them up they actually mean the opposite of what you thought - i.e. the road you're on has the priority rather than any of the side roads joining 'your' road. Then a diamond with a line through it means that rule has come to an end. More info here: www.ornikar.com/code/cours/circulation/priorite
Too right on the zebra crossings - another reason to give them a miss as a pedestrian.
Given time I'm sure you'll come to prefer driving in France to the UK (assuming you're from the UK...) - we do!
No the diamond sign indicates that until other signals say the contrary you have priority.
@@ChatonQuiMiaule Le triangle vers le bas indique toujours une fin de priorité, quand il est installé au niveau du carrefour il est complétez d'un pannouceaux "cedez le passage" (yield en anglais américain) il faut cédez le passage aux véhicules venant mais si la route est vide il est possible de s'engager sans s'arrêter alors que le stop il faut marquer l'arrêts (on dit 3secondes).
Le diaments indique une route pioritaire, soit une route où vous rencontrez ni Stop, ni cédez le passage ni priorité à droite et toutes les routes convergentes un stop ou un cédez le passage
In France zebra crossing can be a totally different experience from one city to an other.
But yeah its recommended to be very careful before crossing.
I do appreciate these kind of videos but just a couple of corrections if not more information.
1) As a Brit you cannot get points on your license since leaving the EU.
2) The last part of the video tells of having to give way to the side road… There is one way to know, there would normally be a circle sign with a black mark through it.
So in the U.K. they use flashlights, in France the indicator and in Germany both at the same time :))
Fairly recent changes in laws give pedestrians right of way over cars on French roads, vehicles are required to stop when a pedestrian signals or makes a move to cross a road except where there is a pedestrian crossing within 50m. However, don't bank on drivers knowing the rules, many still don't!
Also on the give way to the right rule there is a signpost before entering the town/village to signal this is the case and again when leaving. In the country side there is a different sign used that looks like an X which you could misconstrue as a crossroads. It isn't it means vehicles entering from the right have priority. Saying that it is still the responsibility of the person entering from the side road to ensure it is safe to do so. A different sign is displayed at roundabouts to inform you that you do not have priority. Remember traffic will be coming from the left.
One other thing, on dual carriageways you must not remain in the left hand lane(s) after overtaking and the road ahead is clear, you must return to the right hand lane. Using your indicators is a must before and after the manoeuvre.
In France it’s mandatory to maintain 1 meter in city, 1.5 meters on country roads between you and the cyclist. And no overtaking in corners, it’s annoying when there’s a cyclist ahead of you.
I have been here (Loire-Atlantique) for 5 years now. I have never ever had an issue with drivers at zebra crossings. Infact I was pleasantly surprised by their politeness and acknowledgement of pedestrians. Maybe it is just regional thing and down south you might have experienced a different treatment.
Maybe so - anyway, I'm glad they work well for you. Personally I don't trust them....! Sometimes I feel like the only driver who does stop.
It's really changed in the past few years. For one thing, the penalty for failing to give way to a pedestrian increased from 4 to 6 points recently.
You have to be very affirmative when crossing. Look at the driver, catch his gaze and give him an intense look while putting your foot on the first zebra. That's what works for me. Sometimes you even have to force your way in. What's the driver gonna do? Deliberately run me over? I don't think so! It's not safe but sometimes you don't really have a choice (looking at you Paris).
On the flip side, when driving, I often see pedestrians (usually children) not daring to cross until the road is empty. Do stop then to make sure they can cross safely and be aware of any incoming cars as they tend to run across the road.
Pedestrians will often wave their hand to the driver that stopped as a thank you gesture. I don't really like it because it's like saying the driver did a favor to the pedestrian when he's just abiding by the rules. But it's common courtesy (I once got yelled at for failing to say thank you).
Just to clear things out, last point about priority to the right. It is not the road that has the priority, it is the driver. So when you approach a junction and there is a car to your right but nothing ahead, he has the right to go first. However if there is a car driving in opposite direction on the road you're on, you have the priority. It's about drivers and not the roads. Also thanks for the video, I am going to France next week and can't wait! 🙂
Hi, I enjoyed your presentation.
Am I being cheeky to suggest a tenth difference is to drive on the right hand side, on French roads ?
Not cheeky at all!
The give way to the right , is the most important , I have been caught out with this , there is usually a sign post warning you this , then sometimes the same sign has a red diagonal line , meaning you have right of way
I drove to the alps and back last winter and wondered why so many cars had their indicators on while in the outside lane 🤪
Video started with false information. No we don't just drive past STOP sign if the road is clear, it is illegal here too. You must stop your vehicle at STOP at all times in UK.
Hello, you forget the main one! They drive on the right side of the road. Everything you said is valid for Holland,Belgium,Germany,… and most of the European countries. Cheers.
Even in the UK. Unfortunately in England they don't teach to drive properly
i mean. in the uk. you are meant to stop at stop signs. in any country you stop at stop signs. a stop sign is the only sign that looks that same around the world.
Absolutely you're meant to stop. For my part, I believe it happens much more here in France than in the UK though. I count myself in that 'statistic' too. 😉
Excellent and very helpful - can I ask your view on passing larger groups of cyclists where they occupy most of the lane? If it's safe to pass I assume you just move to the other side of the road and give them as much room as possible ? Love the idea of giving people time for each other - part of the real attraction of France. Thanks again.
Some caution in traffic circles is the rules have changed in recent
history and many older drivers still drive by the old rules. Previously
in France, and most of continental Europe, drivers in a traffic circle
had to yield to vehicles entering the traffic circle. Unified European
Union driving regulations have now switched to the British / American
traffic circle rules where drivers entering a traffic circle must yield
vehicles already in the circle, as if they are in an intersection, as
this was deemed safer by EU. Some drivers in France and Europe entering
traffic circles still expect drivers in the traffic circle to yield to
them and allow them in front of them in the traffic circle.
I remember seeing roundabouts that operated like that around the late 80's / early 90's. Since moving to France in 2003 though we've not come across them. That said we drive mainly in the South where we live. From a quick Google I can see people still referring to the 'old' system .... is it still used in some parts of Northern France do you know?
The old rule roundabouts still exist in France.They are called "rond points". The ones with the "new" rule of yielding for the ones entering are called "croisement giratoire". Most French do not know the difference and call them all "rond points" but that is technically false. The most famous rond points is the place de l'Étoile around the Arc de Triomphe (Place de la Bastille is another one). There are still some "rond points" in smaller towns but they are generally not on high traffic parts of the town. In Thionville, f.ex. where I live, there is one near the cemetary on a side road. Driving schools often drive in that part to teach the students that not all roundabouts are "intersections à sens giratoires".
Very interesting ..... I'm glad we don't have any around this way. Or maybe we do....& I'm completely unaware!
@@camelscanswim9414 They are the rule in Paris proper but very rare in the rest of France. Fun fact: Paris only had one stop sign in the whole city until it was removed a few years ago. The rest are traffic circles with "priorité à droite" rule, plain and simple priorité à droite, traffic lights or yield signs
In recent history? More like 30-40 years ago…
Im just back from Nice/Frejus (Im from ireland). Biggest one for me was how there are in suburban areas so many raised concrete barriers in the middle of the road and on the side of the roads with little space. I just felt very hemmed in a lot especially on roads that had "u bends" built into them. Separately not too impressed with their motorways, plenty of stretches had no hard shoulders (A8) and no lights at night, I have never driven on an unlit motorway before and was depending on the hired car to activate the high beams. Other than that thought the drivers had good attitudes though their motorcyclists are iffy, going for gaps that werent there, liked the roundabouts.
I know what you mean about the raised concrete 'areas', they are quite common aren't they! Good comments.
The A8 is not a good reference though. It’s a really bad highway/motorway and is theoretically not to French highway standard. There are many sections of it where the speed limit is reduced to compensate for its poor state.
As for the lighting on highways, that’s to reduce light pollution.
What’s the point of those raised concrete areas in the middle of the road, but they don’t go the full width? Rented a Volvo xc60 and it pretty much straddled the concrete bumps.
When entering a roundabout that has 2 lanes. The Right lane is to go right or to do a u turn. The left lane is to go left or go straight
Oh how I wish everyone believed that. Sadly it's clearly not the case!
That is the rule in the UK (where driving on the wrong side ~ left) but not everyone abide by it
With the last one, I think even if you have priority from the side road, you should still excercice caution because some drivers forget this rule exists, especially from the UK, but even the French. In other words, do not pull out until you are sure the driver has stopped to let you out. Same with right signals to show they are turning into the road.
And in Germany, i definitely think that even doing 140 km/h is enough for someone to tell you to move to the right due to the no speed limite law. But (anywhere you drive) please do not sit within 2 seconds of the car in front, ideally 3.
Indeed, regarding cyclists, it is a written rule. You must leave 1 to 1.5m between the car and cyclists when overtaking and 0.5m in cities.
To point 9: it is called in English translation: Right before left, because both streets have the same priority and it is only on streets with max 50km/h. Very common as well in Germany and perfect to ruin your driving licence test like I did😉. The law is you have to stop, make eye contact and then the right wing car starts and so on. Because of the many accidents in the last years this regulation is often only found anymore in neighborhoods where slower driving should be mandatory. I really liked your video, very informative. One remark for people driving via France to Spain: In Spain you have to stop at Zebra stripes when people are staying there to cross the street, if a driver drives through it cost min. 40€ fine when caught on camera or the pedestrian made a notification to police with thee license number of the car..
Thanks for your very informative comment.
Hmm, in London when you approach a zebra crossing as a pedestrian, you have to stop, wait and check the cars are really stopping. Very dangerous.
Interesting that it's like that in London too. Zebra crossings are simply dangerous!
The n1 "difference" is quite perplexing to me. Are there no equal priority intersections (otherwise known as uncontrolled intersections) in UK? In every European city and town you can find them and clearly know whether it is one. Each driver is trained to understand priorities on such intersections, it's drilled in. How come this is such an issue?
A stop sign is mandatory in the UK, common practice does not reflect the law, we can agree on that but you really should have made this clear. It is a legal requirement to give cyclists 1.5 metres if you are going to overtake, if there isn't enough space you have to wait, you are as likely to castigated by an oncoming motorist as a cyclist for failing to do so. And you can get an on the spot fine or points. Priorité à droite is largely a thing of thé past, but some older drivers still think it applies, if you are in a road with thé yellow square road signes, a "priorité" road then it won't happen, otherwise look at thé road parkings as you go.
What really had me steamed up in France was the very common practice of entering a roundabout with a left indicator on and then, once inside it, switch to right indicator and, in effect go straight ahead. It was so common that I started wondering if it is mandatory to always indicate left to show that you will enter the roundabout? (as if there was any other option when you approach it...)
I think that is how they are now taught to pass their test. It is becoming more common and I agree it can be annoying and confusing if you are not aware of it.
Do you know the name of the passenger seat in France or in Belgium? "La place du mort", "The dead place" because in case of accident with right priority, the injury are for the passenger most of the time.
I never knew that! Very interesting...thanks for your comment!
Another saying I like is "les cimetières sont remplis de gens qui avaient la priorité". Cemeteries are filled with people who had the right of way
Very helpful video. I was punched in the face by some lunatic in the north of France due to the priority to the right rule i struggle with. Turns out he didn’t have priority, but even if he did doesn’t justify violence. Hope he faces criminal justice here!
Thank you so much for this. I'll be taking family there in a few weeks and most of the points you raised in the video are completely strange to me. I feel a bit more confident after watching this. Thanks again.
I'm sure you'll be fine. Honestly, it's so much nicer driving in France!
For some time now, drivers who do not respect pedestrian crossings have been severely punished. The situation has improved a lot, but you have reason to remain wary.
Stop Sign - fine - Yes. Points deducted on UK License - No
I have driven across France a few times over the years. I found they have good lane discipline and tend to stick to the speed limits. All the bad driving or crazy speeding has been with cars sporting GB plates. Luckily I had CH plates on at the time and started wanting the French Police to clobber some of the speeders.
I have to agree that proportionally to the number I see on the road around here, British cars often drive quite fast!
Totally agree about roundabouts, they could be doing anything. Luckily ‘ priority to the right’ is on the decline but there are still plenty about and I use your guideline, look for signs and road markings to indicate the other driver should stop or give way.
Even where we know we have the right, we don't have the courage to just keep going without looking! Looking up a side road to check for signs still seems illogical, but on the plus side I think most people, regardless of nationality, are aware it's all a bit tricky!
Zebra crossing: up to about 20, 25 years ago, cars had absolute preference in France. If you were hit by a car crossing the road, it was your fault. However, if it happened while you were crossing on a zebra crossing, the insurance would pay.
I kind of see the logic there....not necessarily fair mind you. You just need to be very careful when crossing the road here - on a zebra crossing or not.
Hmm. Interesting but I’ve just spent six weeks driving round the Nîmes/Arles/Montpellier area and have experienced almost none of these points. Particularly, I found zebra crossings well observed and “priorité à droite” well signalled on the few intersections it applied to. I did not experience the issue with roundabouts and I found French drivers to think nothing of attempting to drive up my exhaust if they wanted to pass. On motorways, which I used a lot, drivers did tend to keep their indicators on if they were still passing and put them off only once they gone back into their original lane. What did throw me on that point was lorries in the slow lane, indicating left when passing in the middle lane but keeping it on until they had returned, meaning that if you’re approaching them in the fast lane it looks as if they’re about to enter the fast lane in front of you when all they’re doing is telling you they’re passing something in the slow lane and have no intention of coming into the fast lane. That took a while to get used to!
I'm please that in general it was all plain sailing for you! We're currently renovating an apartment in Perpignan & have discovered a host of roundabouts that use the old rule of the car entering the roundabout has priority! Scary!
Lorries are only allowed to overtake on a motorway when there is a minimum of two outside lanes and then only on the first one. So if you on the left outside lane and see an overtaking lorry on the middle lane indicating, then you should know it's not gonna to cut you in. What would be the point, when they only allowed to do 80 km/h (50 mph)
All these things equally apply to the UK!
Priorite' a droite is very dangerous and there there still are lots of accidents, the trend (slow trend) is to mark more junctions and move to install mini roundabouts .. (rondpoints) .. drivers are often quite capable, even very old people, but watch out for the 'mini' cars for which you don't need a driving permit and which are supposed to be restricted to 50km/hr .. drive to survive and you should be ok. Roundabouts are anti-clockwise, best thing is to get into a line of traffic and follow it until you get used to the flow, the use of indicators is genuinely IFFY .... merely a suggestion that something might happen. In the towns stick to the speed limits, watch out for 4 year old cyclists out for a family ride, and the quite common 85 year old cycling to get the bread early in the morning, don't expect bicycles to show lights after dark.
It doesn't sound like you enjoy driving in France much! At the very least you must find it very stressful. Personally I find driving in the UK more stressful than France these days although the rubbish use of indicators is extremely annoying I agree.
In the UK you MUST stop at a stop sign. Failure to do so is an offence. Drifting through is not allowed. People sometimes don’t stop but that’s because they like committing offences and have forgotten the Highway Code.
I doubt anyone would argue with your first three points. The rest though...... 😉
there is a specific priority on the right sign
Absolutely, however it's not consistently used. I actually saw one today....I don't remember the last time I saw one though. It would seem that in the south they are rare.... Thanks for commenting.
What about roundabout, does the give way to the right apply.
No it doesn't. The car entering the roundabout gives way. The last time I saw one where give way to the right applied was 30 years ago in the north.
@@camelscanswim9414 Place de l'Etoile and Place de la Bastille in Paris are the old kind of roundabouts.
@@camelscanswim9414 it depends. As you have said in your video, you must pay attention to the signs. Usually when you approach a roundabout you have a first signs saying "Vous n'avez pas la priorité" (you don't have the priority) and then right before engaging the roundabout you have Give way signs. If those are in place it is because without them people entering the roundabout will have the priority since they will arrive from the right hand side of engaged cars and cars in it will have to give way. Place de l'étoile in Paris is famous for that.
The rule is in fact simple: Unless the signs say the opposite (priority route, give way etc.), the car coming from the right will always have the priority, the type of intersection does not matter, only road signs matter.
In Paris the ring road which looks like a speedway has no priority/give way signs meaning that cars entering the road have in fact the priority over you.
In cities and in small rural villages and towns is where you're most likely to find priorite a droite or for priority for traffic entering the roundabout in my experience. Most are like the UK now and also have warning triangle signs on the approach to a roundabout saying Cedez le Passage which has a somewhat obvious Give Way meaning. Dual carriageway approaches to roundabouts (more and more particularly on new roads) are often marked down to single lanes on the final approach to a roundabout which also helps with some of the lane discipline mentioned on the roundabout itself
As in France we expect that everything thing is ruled by administrative orders...
You'll find there the whole "Instruction Interministérielle sur la Signalisation Routière" (Governement order on roads signs), i. e. a sort of encyclopédia of everything that rules marks on roads and much more !
www.equipementsdelaroute.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/les-versions-actualisees-des-9-parties-de-l-a528.html
Everything you told is not specific to France. Those rules apply to almost all EU countries. Don't forget you can have 3 speed limits within 1km. It cost me a lot of euros.
And of course if you are rushing to the ferry way too fast your licence will be suspended your car confiscated until the court appearance. It happens.
Passing driving test is very difficult in france I mean very tough. People who makes mistakes I think they have changed their licenses.
Indicators are quiet out of fashion in the south of France. Considering the cyclists in France and how well they're respected, you should visit any big French city!!
I find myself suspicious of indicators....they often don't tell the truth! It would be interesting to try cycling around Montpellier or Toulouse just to see how it is (they're our nearest big cities). Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Same in Spain because of this I drive very defensive and always have the foot close the breaks, you never know what people have in mind. I arrive some minutes later at my destination, I don't care as long I am save when driving though Continental Europe, most laws are very similar but the temperaments cook hotter as closer you come to big cities. The master class is Italien Traffic🤣🤣🤣
In Spain....Zebra/pedestrian crossings.....complete reversal of comments here ...in Spain every driver gives way at pedestrian crossing, people will simply step out in to the road with out checking for traffic at a crossing as every one is expected to stop..I have also noticed that it is common for Spanish drivers to apply the car indicator when stopping at a crossing to show they are stopping or are about to to other road users, other drivers...people will just walk in to the road....you MUST stop!
greetings from japan
Thank you! And greetins to you from France!
Just drive at a sensible speed from which you can see to be safe or stop to cover all situations and there should be no problems - same as in the UK or anywhere else. Just drive defensively and give way as much a possible and you will be ok - same as in the UK. If you have the space to allow it - it is best to let traffic merging from the right onto the motorway (even if you have the right of way) - either by slowing down or moving to the centre lane, if safe to do so - same as in the UK....
Good advice.
In France they drive on the right side of the road. not on the wrong.
Article R415-11
Tout conducteur est tenu de céder le passage, au besoin en s'arrêtant, au piéton s'engageant régulièrement dans la traversée d'une chaussée ou manifestant clairement l'intention de le faire ou circulant dans une aire piétonne ou une zone de rencontre.
Drivers are supposed to stop if any pedestrian manifests a clear intention to cross the road. Not saying that all do, but failing to do so may result in penalties:
Failing to yield to a pedestrian may incur the loss of 6 points out of 12 on a license (not to mention other penalties). If an accident occurs, there is criminal and civil liability.
In France, in any accident involving a car and a pedestrian, even if the pedestrian did not abide by road rules, the driver (or rather the insurer thereof) is civilly liable.
If it says stop in the UK it means Stop, Indicate tossers exist in the UK as well, Give way to pedestrians, lane control in the UK is crap for many, Road rage doesn't exist in the UK, we seem to be better at giving cyclists space, Indicators are for indicating flashing lights means Im coming through, look how many people are killed or injured on zebras in the UK each year, Priority a droit we have give way to the right roundabouts etc. got any tips?
American here. Driving in France is confusing to say the least
What's the hardest thing for you compared to the US?
Your #1 item is called PAD! Priorite A Droite! As for Zebra crossings, never seen this as a problem. Paris maybe. PACA never.
Actually it's called "Priorités à droite" - PAD is just an abbreviation / acronym.
In my personal experience zebra crossings are risky anywhere in France. We frequent the Arles / Avignon / Aix-en-Provence / Marseille area and have found it no different to Montpellier / Toulouse / Perpignan... or anywhere else in France to be fair. Perhaps time of day may make a difference and of course whether you're driving in a busy area or not.
Driving in France is horribly expensive, those motorways are a nightmare!
What do you find them expensive compared to & why do you consider them a nightmare?
Wondered why I always nearly get run over in France 😂
Those zebra crossings can be lethal!
Fix the audio!!!! First too low then too much volume!!!!!!!!
I take it you're referring to the intro sequence at between 13 and 17 seconds into the video.? On a positive note, it probably woke you up! 😉
If they didn't take so long to say goodbye,they wouldn't have to drive like idiots lol
I've lived in France for 15 years
The speed limit means the minimum speed you do
And it's compulsory to speed up at corners and roundabouts
My experience is different. Personally I'd far rather drive in France than the UK. On the rare occasions that I drive in the UK, I find other drivers often very aggressive. As for motorways, the inside lane is empty! Each to their own I guess.
I don't find that speed limits are particularly respected in France.
I keep to a couple of kilometres over the limit, and cars and huge trucks get really annoyed and drive up really close behind me. I pull over if i can, but it's not always possible.
The speed limit might be 90km on the higway, but coming through a village it drops to 70 and then 50km, i respect the speed limit of villages with their crossing points and homes, however, most drivers don't and will come up very aggressively behind you as if to physically push you on!
Wish the British would treat cyclists with a bit more respect.
Absolutely.
If you need this advice stay home.
Everyone ' needs ' this advice , if they have never driven in Europe before . Except Mr Perfect Clever Clogs. Which is you , Walter .
As against other wrong advice this is all true. Give way is a big problem even when faced with cede la passage , give way , elderly drivers may not having been taught differently to give way on their right and anything on their left is expected to stop,
Roundabouts are specially difficult if you take the middle lane when going straight ahead , then when you turn into your exit , expect a car to cut you on the inside going straight on round even ignoring your signal. Or if you take the inside , expect a car to pass across in front of you to their exit. There is no lane , or often signal , discipline.
But there is something even more peculiar at roundabouts . If you are going straight ahead then you should signal left , and then signal right at your exit. But if you don't signal it means you give priority to those entering the roundabout from your right.
Oh dear .🤔
Verbal instruction is useless without image examples!