Motoring – a few basic guidelines
See also Driving in Winter
Driving in France is a relatively simple process but like cooking a soufflé if you haven’t tried it before or done so for a while there can be problems ahead!
In France it’s the Gendarmes who patrol roads and operate the vehicle checkpoints. I have also seen the Police Nationale doing this as well as operating mobile speed cameras but am reliably informed that it’s mainly the job of the Gendarmerie, who are incidentally a branch of the army.
If you are stopped at a contôle you will be asked for both your identity papers and those of the car. If you have only the old, non-photo version of the UK driving licence you should also produce your passport. If you are in a car hired in France, you should have a copy of the carte gris (French car registration document) as well as the insurance documents in the glove box. If they are not there, you will be told that you should have checked on collecting the vehicle and will be ordered to present them at the gendarmerie within 5 days – oh and you’ll be fined! If the car does not belong to you then you will need a signed letter of authorisation from the owner. If you are driving a car rented in a country outside France you will need a ‘Hire/Leased Vehicle Certificate’ this also applies if you are driving a vehicle leased by or owned by your employer, or if you lease a vehicle privately yourself.
A police officer can issue a fixed penalty notice and expect to be paid in cash on the spot. This is very common when dealing with non-resident foreigners, whose vehicles are usually impounded if they are unable to pay. You may be allowed to accompany the Police officers to a bank to withdraw cash, but this is not always so.
If you are stopped by a Police officer – do not offer to shake his hand. This can be mistaken for attempting to pass a bribe and you will be rewarded with a stony stare and curt demands for your papers.
Some driving hints;
You must by law carry the following in the car; A red, reflective warning triangle one high visibility vest (inside the car accessible to the driver), a complete set of bulbs and fuses.
Using a mobile phone whilst driving is prohibited – even with a hands-free kit.
Do not accelerate whilst being overtaken – why? – A €150 to €750 fine and two points on your licence is just one good reason.
Driving on sidelights at any time is illegal, always use dipped main beams.
Not dipping your headlights will net you a fine of between €150 to €750 and a penalty point.
A word of warning if you own a radar detector – Do NOT bring it to France! – it will earn you a €1500 fine and the possible suspension of your licence, as well as confiscation of the offending equipment.
Please note that punishments for road offences can be very severe in France; for example up to €4’600 and imprisonment for up to two years – for driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. On this point the permitted levels of blood alcohol in France are very low – just 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. It’s safer not to drink and drive.
And also – ignore the bloke propping up the bar down at your local who claims that French police cannot give points to anybody with a UK licence - they can and do.
Motorway toll entry and exit points are timed. In theory you can be convicted of speeding if your journey time between one point and another shows that you must have exceeded the maximum 130/110kph.
If your car has a GPS system, you can be caught exceeding the speed limits by a satellite surveillance network called LAVIA a snappy abbreviation for Limitation s’Adaptant à la Vitesse Autorisée.
Children under the age of 10 must not be carried in the front passenger seat.
Speed Limits
There are also restrictions to these speed limits;
There is a minimum speed of 80kph in the overtaking lane on motorways during daylight hours in perfect conditions – ie level surface, dry road, and clear visibility.
Vehicles fitted with snow chains are restricted to 90kph, although I would suggest that you try not to reach this speed, if you wish to avoid damage to your car should one come off!
