Summer holidaymakers alert: Driving laws in France

Monday, 9 April 2012

Are you planning a summer holiday adventure across the Channel to France? If you are taking the ferry and driving your car overseas then you must be aware of the driving laws in France that are very different to the rules we are used to here in the UK.

Perhaps the most interesting development in recent French driving laws was that motorists driving on French loads were required to carry a breathalyser kit on-board from July 2012. Drivers without a kit can be fined 11 euros. At a cost of £2 each it seems silly not to purchase one to determine whether you comply with the nation’s drink-drive limit.

Here are a handful of other issues to be aware of before setting off on your summer adventures in France.

Make sure you drive on the right

Possibly the one driving rule that many of us are already aware of is that France and many other European countries drive on the right hand side of the road as opposed to the left. With this in mind it is important to take care when pulling out of service stations and lay-bys when you are on the left side of the road.

Headlights

This may not occur to you but when a driver flashes his headlights in the UK it doesn’t mean the same as it does in France!

A message from the European Traffic Police Network said: “If a French driver flashes his headlights, beware! He’s likely to be telling you HE has right of way.”

Speed cameras

If you are intending on taking a satnav system with you on your journey across France it is imperative you make sure the device does not have the ability to detect the location of speed cameras. The French police have the authority to fine you 1,500 euros even if the device is disabled!

Speed limits

The speed limits in France differ to the UK:

Motorways – 130km/h (110km/h on express highways)
Secondary rural roads – 90km/h
Towns – 50km/h (often cut to 20-30km/h in congested areas)

Drink-drive limits

Drink-drive limits are considerably more stringent than in the UK. While the limit in the UK is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, in France the limit is 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The last thing you want is to have too much of a bottle of Blanc and end up having to head to a car recycling centre on your return home!

Driving rules aside, France is a beautiful country to visit and drive through with beautiful scenery, weather, food and drink to keep you entertained all the way.

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