Requirements for driving in France?

[Bazgti]

^^^^ memo to self:-  never eat a baguette at your house! 

....  

Its nutella..... Honest!

[mad_pete]

The breathalyser is for you. Idea being if you have been drinking you use it before you get in the car and I thought holiday makers had some exception on this for a few months.

UPdate:
The new regulations, which excludes mopeds, will be fully enforced and include foreigner drivers from November 1 following a four-month period of grace. Anyone failing to produce a breathalyser after that date will receive an 11 euro fine.

[RedRobin]

The breathalyser is for you. Idea being if you have been drinking you use it before you get in the car and I thought holiday makers had some exception on this for a few months.

UPdate:
The new regulations, which excludes mopeds, will be fully enforced and include foreigner drivers from November 1 following a four-month period of grace. Anyone failing to produce a breathalyser after that date will receive an 11 euro fine.

....I assume that you have to carry a breathalyser for each occupant of your car, as it is for high-viz waistcoats.

So breathalysers don't have to be sealed and unused but what would be the point of carrying a sealed unused one when you were stopped by the Frenchies?

After I got done for speeding in Belgium on the way back to the Eurotunnel with John Hurdy, and given a very friendly warning about how bad the French police are, we strictly kept to the French speed limit and it was extremely boring.

[MC71]

^^^^ had not thought about Breathalisers for everyone else in the car, surly it would only be needed for the driver? I can see the point of having jackets for each occupant as you may well all be standing by the side of the road in the dark.

Got stopped in France about 10 years ago on the way back from Le Mans via the Normandy beaches (to pay our respects). I think there was 6 cars in our convoy and we were very, VERY late for our ferry at Dieppe so were "making up time" and were swarmed upon by the police. We were lucky and were given a good telling off but we heard many stories of people being stopped and taken to cashpoint machines to pay the so called "fines". In those days we were always told NEVER to take our original documents with us as they could be confiscated and another "fine" paid before they were returned. Not sure of the truth behind this but it was enough to make us drive slowly after that.

Can't wait to drive through France next week 

[phil1975]

Can't wait to drive through France next week 
[/quote]


Just relax bring all the guff required on the lists, stick broadly to the speed limits and i know your have a good time 


I got pulled by the german police last year, we were coming back into germany from poland (having gone to see where the great escape happened) in a hire car with french plates on, might aswell had a bullseye on the car. But i knew i wasn't speeding as i'd seen the police waiting by the border when we were going the other way, they just wanted a nosey!


Give them no reason to pull you over and have a great time!

[GTIjames]

Agree with Phil. No need to worry about it as the roads are much nicer and quieter than our congested and pot-hole ridden tarmac..

The French also understand lane discipline so you rarely come across middle or outside lane hoggers, slow moving vehicles on single lane roads will pull in to the side to let you past unlike the 40 everywhere brigade over here who will try there best to block you.

Look out for cars flashing you as they also like to warn drivers about speed traps up ahead. Like the UK speed traps they are normally set up where road works are going on so pay attention to changes in the speed limits on m'ways and also when going through villages and towns.

We did 10 days back in June driving from Caen-LaRochelle-Bordeaux-Biarritz-StEmillion-LeMans-Home and had no problems what so ever apart from setting off a few fixed speed cameras which we have heard nothing about since.

Lovely place and off back next year 

[MC71]

^^^^ cheers fellas. 

Pretty much going to stick to the toll roads! Going to Honfleur first, then Saint Malo and finally (maybe) Paris as my wife has never been so that would be good. Am NOT driving in Paris though, will get a bus/train in there. 

[RedRobin]

No need to worry about it as the roads are much nicer and quieter than our congested and pot-hole ridden tarmac..

The French also understand lane discipline so you rarely come across middle or outside lane hoggers, slow moving vehicles on single lane roads will pull in to the side to let you past unlike the 40 everywhere brigade over here who will try there best to block you.

....The Germans also understand lane discipline, but the English are the very worst!

The trouble with many French roads is that they are far too good not to want to drive fast on them:



^ N88 running south towards The French Riviera.



^ In fast company with a BMW and a Porsche.

[Oli]

The first aid kit, bulbs and fire extinguisher aren't compulsory. Just advisories.  High vis vest are only for people getting out of the vehicle, so you get away with one, although its sensible to take one for each person.

Don't forget logbook, licence and insurance, if this hasnt already been mentioned.

This is what we use for our hire vehicles;

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/touring_tips/compulsory_equipment.pdf

[Mzareieg]

 

[MC71]

^^^^ that's an interesting insight into this thread, well done!

[ConeKiller]

I've heard their law states if you are at the end of a stationary queue of traffic you should have your hazard lights on to warn cars coming up behind you, not sure how true but its believable and pretty sensible!


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[MC71]

^^^^ see that quite a bit over here on roads when coming up behind traffic and have even used it myself (when I remember) 

[RedRobin]

I've heard their law states if you are at the end of a stationary queue of traffic you should have your hazard lights on to warn cars coming up behind you, not sure how true but its believable and pretty sensible!

....I always do that if on a fast road and especially a motorway. I've done it ever since I had a car with hazard lights - It works to greatly reduce the risk of getting rear ended. It's surely a no-brainer.

[Nodz]

I've always done this ever since I started driving over 8 years ago. As RR says its good practice and a good warning to drivers behind, especially on high speed roads