Driving

The best way to describe driving in France I have mused over this, but the only way is to accept that the French have the mindset of being first! Yes no matter, how old, the driver, the car, No matter what size, the driver, the car the lorry the bus, the French driver has to be first. No matter where they are, driveway, footpath, supermarke, doctors, hospital and anywhere else Madame et Monsieur will ensure their right to be first.

Couple this with one of the most confusing set of roadsigns and road rules which try to combine the 21st century with the 10th Century, it all makes for a very dangerous time for the unsuspecting.

My favourite road rule is the one where you are supposed to giveway to traffic coming from the right. Except where the signs dictate otherwise, normal broken white lines. But the one to really watch for is the yellow triangle with or without a black line through it. With a black line it means traffic from the right has priority and they will appear on all manner of roads and on some main roads. So the next time you see a car zooming up from your right don't just presume it is going to stop because if they have priority then they will take it.
We were once near the N10 in Mansle and a car came across us at a marked junction which was driven by Grandfather Times Uncle and they have not updated themselves !

And lets not forget that there is a sizeable proportion of the driving population who are drunk.

And if you saw our former English neighbour who wasn't a sizeable proportion but just a raving drunk then you would also exercise due caution around your former Country folk, some of whom view drink driving as a way of life in France.

When I was a Police Officer and someone was disqualified from driving it meant exactly that, the person was banned from driving. Not here! they allow them to drive a very small box with a 950cc engine within a certain radious of their homes, because there is no public transport in France. So when you are motoring along with the latest nutcase trying to get as close as possible, its not Agricultural vehicles that you are most likely to encounter. Its a little metalic box churning out blue smoke as the overwieght occupants who have been crammed into it, try and achieve 20 kms.. They also have the annoying ability to hog the centre white lines and have lights which would take an Owl to detect because they are so dim. Then couple that with the car about 5 or 6 vehicles back who has no idea of whats going on attempts an overtake in the face of oncoming traffic.



We were once travelling in a thunderstorm and for those who have not experienced the 'orage'

its Biblical and dumps a mind boggling amount of water in very short time. Usually accompanied by lightening, high winds and the wipers can't clear the screen.

We were on the N10 near Angouleme and every sort of vehicle was speeding by into the unknown the nil visibility being hampered further by the water being thrown up by lorries and the vehicle in front. I was glad to get of that road.

On another occasion I had a HGV tight up behind us on a back road near Cognac it was an accident waiting to happen. I saw an open piece of land to my right and with the same precision as an aircraft landing on the deck of the ship I turned onto it, without slowing down and came to a halt. Thus allowing the 45 tonnes beast to move onto the next victim, I've seen what HGV's do to cars and I've no desire to give it a go!



'vous n'avez pas priorite' is a sign on roundabouts, it is meaningless or should be treated as such. The code securite outlines the correct procedure for roundabouts and unlike the highway code you are liable for a fine if you fail to give the correct signal. I've seen the Gendarmes who roam in packs swooping on roundabouts for this very purpose.

On one or two occasions I've had people trying to pass on the inside as I was crossing, I don't travel fast. My dogs and wife don't appreciate a roller coaster ride.