give way to the right

[osie]

Just a warning...

In Villefranche De Rouergue there is a crazy bit of road on the main drive through the town just after the bridge... The main road in joined by a road on the right(going towards the hospital) and that road has right of way... I was caught the first time when I told the other driver off... Now I know better.. What is worse is the all the other local drives know this and take full advantage.

I did read the other thread on the same subject... as far as I know there is no indication of the give way and it does seem very dangerous.

osie

[Ron Avery]

The Albi road from the hospital is actually the main road D 922 that continues through the town toward Figeac, but you are right it can catch you out if you are not aware of it. There is actually another prority from the right just before that one, the road after the parade of shops where the FT shop is also has priority onto the main road, as does the one opposite in the other direction by the Globe.

In large towns these roads are not signed by a black cross in a red triangle, usually as with Villefranche, priority from the right is indicated by a yellow diamond crossed through on the approach roads.  The general rule in large towns is that if there is no white line or sign on the "side" road it probably has priority.  If you are in the area and going towards  Baraqueville. on the D911 from Villefranche, watch out in Rieupeyroux because there are two small roads from the right that have priority.

[Clair]

As far as I am aware, in town and villages, traffic from the right always has priority unless otherwise indicated (at roundabouts for instance).

http://www.autoecole07200.com/reglescirculation.htm

[Cerise]

Having almost died at that particular spot more than once, I sympathise.  It is one of the most ill thought out bits of road and as it is used by many tourists and a lot of thundering great lorries it is very dangerous.  There is another similar one on the Albi/Carmaux/Blay-les-Mines road (where you turn of for Hyper U if coming from Monesties).  Neither of these junctions are well marked and as half the world doesn't know what is going on it is a recipe for much fear and swearing

[Phil & Pat]

[quote user="osie"]... as far as I know there is no indication of the give way and it does seem very dangerous.[/quote]

Welcome to driving in France. [:D]

[allanb]

[quote user="Clair"]As far as I am aware, in town and villages, traffic from the right always has priority unless otherwise indicated (at roundabouts for instance).[/quote]

Why do you say "in town and villages"?  It's true everywhere, although there are several different ways in which it can be indicated.  In order to survive it's best to know them all.

[Callie]

Side roads in towns normally have a solid (stop) line or a dotted (give way) line unless indicated that there is priority to the right.  However, out of town the paint wears off and then it risks becoming a free for all. 

Roundabouts are a different thing altogether.  Despite the fact that traffic coming on to a roundabout should give way to those already on it, many French drivers just push their way through without checking, particularly larger vehicles.  I had reason to "toot" at a camper van who was about to barge his way on - I wanted to let him know "I am here" as he had not bothered to look left.  He did at least stop but shook his fist and glared.  I smiled and raised my hand in a thank you and continued on my way.

We have a tiny free-for-all crossroads near us where people tend to hoot and carry on without slowing down.  One day they might meet me and my tractor !

[gosub]

Quote

"Roundabouts are a different thing altogether.  Despite the fact that traffic coming on to a roundabout should give way to those already on it"

Roundabouts are also priorité a droite, unless they are marked with a give way sign, you will have to stop on the roundabout and allow traffic to enter.

[Ron Avery]

"Roundabouts are a different thing altogether.  Despite the fact that traffic coming on to a roundabout should give way to those already on it," 

This is not correct, this only applies on roundabouts where it is marked.

In the big cities and many towns,  the priority to the right applies, the Arch de Triomphe in Paris is probably the best known example of this system.

 You only have to give way on roundabouts where it is indicated that you do not have priority, otherwise you just go ahead and those alrerady on have to give way to those entering,  the give way is often marked by a white line, so statistically,  as probably more French live in towns and cities,  the majority of French are used to having priority entering a roundabout, which is why most are sign posted where the opposite applies.

On juctions and crossroads where there is no marking priority would normally be to the right.

 

Edit  You beast me to it Les.

[Clair]

[quote user="allanb"][quote user="Clair"]As far as I am aware, in town and villages, traffic from the right always has priority unless otherwise indicated (at roundabouts for instance).[/quote]

Why do you say "in town and villages"?  It's true everywhere, although there are several different ways in which it can be indicated.  In order to survive it's best to know them all.[/quote]

If you are driving in a route prioritaire (indicated by a yellow diamond sign), the "prioritaire" nature of the road is lost on entering an town or village unless the sign (yellow diamond) is repeated above the village or town sign.

[quote]4. - Entrée d'agglomération.

Un panneau AB6 est posé au-dessus du panneau de localisation lorsque la route conserve son caractère prioritaire au-delà de ce panneau.[/quote]

Panneau AB6:

[quote]2. - Entrée d'agglomération.

Un panneau AB7 est toujours placé au-dessus du panneau de localisation lorsque la route perd son caractère prioritaire au droit de ce panneau.[/quote]

Panneau AB7:

[Chancer]

[quote user="Cerise"]Having almost died at that particular spot more than once, I sympathise.  It is one of the most ill thought out bits of road and as it is used by many tourists and a lot of thundering great lorries it is very dangerous.  There is another similar one on the Albi/Carmaux/Blay-les-Mines road (where you turn of for Hyper U if coming from Monesties).  Neither of these junctions are well marked and as half the world doesn't know what is going on it is a recipe for much fear and swearing[/quote]

If by "half the world" you mean the immigrants and tourists then surely it is in their interests to understand the code de la route and roadsigns?

This topic comes up from time to time and I shudder when reading comments from people who live here that cannot comprehend "priorité à droite" and after one unforgettable passenger journey with a visitor who was not even interested in understanding, - "its alright I'm British", I always insist on driving now.

Where I live ignorance of priorité à droite will quickly result in a bent car if not worse as most people having priority dont even look to the left, I do but having lost my left eye I dont see anyway [;-)]

In towns other than my own where I now know most of the POD's I slow right down at every junction to my right looking for either a solid line (usually scrubbed out) or the ceder le passage sign (usually obstructed by buildings being built right up to the narrow footpath) on one of these junctions you can easily be T boned before you or the other driver will have seen each other.

One other tip I use when taking the priorité is to look if possible at the number plate of the car on my left, if it is a tourist I proceed very carefully.

[Bugsy]

Don't forget this one

[IMG]http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p211/Bugbear2/Priorityfromtheright.jpg[/IMG]

[Cat]

An introduction (in English) to driving in France http://www2.securiteroutiere.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Depliant_welcome_2007-08.pdf

A leaflet showing French roadsigns and their meaning http://www2.securiteroutiere.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/depliant-signalisation.pdf  (the signs relating to priorité a droite are on page 2).

[Cerise]

Nope - half the world is the mamies in sans permis, the foreign truck drivers, the papis in battered old citroens, the confused from other parts of Fance.  If you have ever been to that particular junction you will know that everyone hesitates because they are not sure what to do and then everyone goes at once.  It is not really a crossroads, more a triangular sort of thing and  I think it is some special kind of population control device for the Aveyron[6][6].  I certainly know about priority to the right, but I always warn our visitors about that particular junction.  If it is the first one the OP has come across - particularly if it was on a Thursday which is market day - I can understand why he was alarmed.

[Chancer]

Ggood point re the sans permis, why would they even bother to read the code?

[andyh4]

Cerise,

why blame foreign truck drivers?

 

Most of them will be:

Polish - priority from the right

Spanish - ditto

Italian - ditto

Czech - Ditto

Slovak - ditto

Belgian - ditto

Dutch - ditto

                                          or sometimes

German - ditto

Swiss - ditto

 

 

[Polremy]

and dont blame the papis in battered old citroens either because mr polremy is one.

[Cerise]

I promise you - you have to go there to see it.  It is not just the priorité à droite but the fact that the sign posts are hard to read and the road leads into  the town oneway system.  This means that unless people are local they don't know where they are going.  The locals (except Ron Aveyron and me [:D]) are all over 100 years old and driving sans permis whilst simultaneously smoking and leaning out of window to talk to passers by in thick Aveyronaise accent.  The lost foreign truck drivers are trying to find someone who they can understand who does not speak in said Aveyronaise to tell them the way.  And the papis in battered citroens (Mr Polremy honourable exception I'm sure) have spent half the morning in the Café des Sports before venturing out onto the junction without giving a hoot who has priority.  It is much, much easier to go to Villefranche market by train!!

[allanb]

[quote user="Clair"]If you are driving in a route prioritaire (indicated by a yellow diamond sign), the "prioritaire" nature of the road is lost on entering an town or village unless the sign (yellow diamond) is repeated above the village or town sign.

[quote]4. - Entrée d'agglomération.

Un panneau AB6 est posé au-dessus du panneau de localisation lorsque la route conserve son caractère prioritaire au-delà de ce panneau.[/quote]

Panneau AB6:

[quote]2. - Entrée d'agglomération.

Un panneau AB7 est toujours placé au-dessus du panneau de localisation lorsque la route perd son caractère prioritaire au droit de ce panneau.[/quote]

Panneau AB7: [/quote]

Clair: something doesn't make sense here.  Either the main road keeps its priority status, or it doesn't.  So if both your quotations are correct, every town or village sign (panneau de localisation) would have either an AB6 or an AB7 placed over it.  But it ain't so.

Have I missed something?

[andyh4]

[quote user="allanb"][quote user="Clair"]If you are driving in a route prioritaire (indicated by a yellow diamond sign), the "prioritaire" nature of the road is lost on entering an town or village unless the sign (yellow diamond) is repeated above the village or town sign.[/quote]
Clair: something doesn't make sense here.  Either the main road keeps its priority status, or it doesn't.  So if both your quotations are correct, every town or village sign (panneau de localisation) would have either an AB6 or an AB7 placed over it.  But it ain't so.

Have I missed something?
[/quote]

 

The firts sentence seems to be what you missed.

[allanb]

OK, I have finally seen the light.  Thanks.

[bmt]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]In the big cities and many towns,  the priority to the right [on roundabouts] applies, the Arch de Triomphe in Paris is probably the best known example of this system.

 You only have to give way on roundabouts where it is indicated that you do not have priority, otherwise you just go ahead and those alrerady on have to give way to those entering,  the give way is often marked by a white line, so statistically,  as probably more French live in towns and cities,  the majority of French are used to having priority entering a roundabout, which is why most are sign posted where the opposite applies.[/quote]

As I understand it, the roundabout sign (AB25: red triangle, three black arrows) implies (legally) priority to traffic already on the roundabout. 

The additional 'Vous n'avez pas la priorité' or 'cédez le passage' are

not always required and neither has any influence on the actual priority.  If the sign is there, it fixes the priority.  Note also the white road markings.

What you describe used to be the case, afaik, but it changed in 1983(?).  The legacy is the variety of positional signage, including the 'Vous n'avez pas la priorité' and 'cédez le passage', that are obsolete in law, when the advance sign (AB25) is present.