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DRIVING IN FRANCE
You are required by French law to carry the following and could be fined for non-compliance.
• Full driving licence
• Valid insurance certificate (Green card)
• Country of origin sticker
• Headlight converters
• Spare set of bulbs & fuses
• Warning triangle
• First aid kit
• Florescent Vest (compulsory for each passenger)
• Always carry Documentation such as your driving licence, vehicle registration document (V5), and certificate of motor insurance.
SPEED LIMITS
• In Town – 50km/h (31mph)
• Other Roads – 90 km/h (56mph)
• Dual Carriageways – 110km/h(69mph)
• Motorways – 130km/h (81mph)
N.B. When visibility is below 50m, speed limit is 50km/h everywhere.
In bad weather and rain reduce your speed by 10km/h for main roads and dial carriageways and by 20km/h for motorways. Speed traps are not highly visible though present and can in-cure on the spot fines and confiscation of your licence if travelling 25km/h over the speed limit.
RIGHT HAND DRIVE CARS
You must adapt your headlights with headlight converters that prevent your beam from blinding oncoming traffic.
DRINK DRIVING
France has very strict drink driving laws. Over 0.05 per cent and you could face anything up to imprisonment.
BEWARE Priorité à droite
In France give way to traffic from your left. However there is one exception to the rule – Priorité à droite. As a guide line if the road to your right does not have white lines to stop the joining traffic then THEY have priority and you must stop.
PETROL STATIONS
Sans Plomb is unleaded and Gazole is Diesel.
Most supermarkets have their own petrol stations open between 9am and 7pm and are closed on Sundays. There are 24 hour stations but they do not all take all Credit and Debit cards. The rule of thumb is to fill up in euros within shop hours.
BREAKDOWN AND ASSISTANCE
Before leaving your car you must by law put on your fluorescent jacket, switch on your hazard lights and place your red warning triangle 30m behind your vehicle. Parking and resting zones are situated every 10 to 20km, with 24-hour petrol stations found approximately every 40km. Free emergency telephones are situated every 2km on motorways.
MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phones set-up for roaming receive a good French network signal in the area. If your mobile is unblocked for using any network then you can purchase a French SIM card from most supermarkets / electrical stores.
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS
• 15 Ambulance (SAMU = Service D’Aide Medicale Urgent)
• 17 Police (Gendarmes)
• 18 Fire service (Pompiers)
• 112 Universal Switchboard All three services
