Sunday Driver Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 [quote user="ErnieY"][quote user="Will"]...86% of British drivers in France did not know what they meant. There are some other good statistics there too, like only 17% knew the autoroute speed limits.[/quote]Frighteningly I believe that a significant number of British drivers don't know some of this stuff in UK never mind in France, and when you start asking about the meaning of road signs it gets worse.......[:-))][/quote]Like the "white and red posts at the mouth of roads joining from the right".........[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Here's another one for the Brit drivers.....What are the rules regarding overtaking on the approach to a pedestrian crossing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 I wasn't aware there were any. Not long ago the gendarmes were handing out leaflets to everybody entering a nearby town, giving all the rules about pedestrian crossings, presumably in advance of a bit of a purge - against pedestrians as well as drivers. There were a lot of rules, but either there isn't one about overtaking or they had forgotten about it. Mind you, the French will have a rule covering everything you can or cannot do, in life as well as driving, and many of them seem contradictory. All you have to do is find the rule that suits you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 [quote user="Sunday Driver"]Here's another one for the Brit drivers.....What are the rules regarding overtaking on the approach to a pedestrian crossing? [/quote]Oddly I have a feeling you can if there is nobody on the crossing but I still wouldn't do it (in case I'm wrong! - and I think it's mad anyway.[:-))]) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 What are the rules regarding overtaking on the approach to a pedestrian crossing?In France or the UK? In the UK You must not overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians. Which is a nonsense as it means that you can steam along the outside and pass all cars except the first one!!What I think is more dangerous in any country, is to stop for a pedestrian who is not crossing from your side of the road. If you do you are inviting them to cross and as a result they may not look the right way before crossing assuming the road is clear. This used to be an automatic failure on the UK PCV and HGV test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 [quote user="Will"]These signs are also relevant - surprised nobody has mentioned them yet.[IMG]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/vienormande/signs_signals_france_en-2.jpg[/IMG]But perhaps it's not surprising, In a survey by insurance group AXA (http://www.francereview.com/articles/motoring/art1.php) 86% of British drivers in France did not know what they meant. There are some other good statistics there too, like only 17% knew the autoroute speed limits.[/quote]GMTV did a survey at Dover once and asked travellers to France what the yellow triangle meant. To those who said that they didn't know, they told them it meant "give way to the right", which is exactly what is doesn't mean[Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 [quote user="Ron Avery"] What are the rules regarding overtaking on the approach to a pedestrian crossing?In France or the UK? [/quote]We are talking about driving in France, Ron.....[Www]Any more offers, anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Avery Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 [quote user="Sunday Driver"][quote user="Ron Avery"] What are the rules regarding overtaking on the approach to a pedestrian crossing?In France or the UK? [/quote]We are talking about driving in France, Ron.....[Www]Any more offers, anyone?[/quote]Well that's easy then, overtaking on pedestrian crossings should be to the left and bonus points are awarded to your license if you can hit people crossing in both directions.[:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 A test for all drivers with 4 levels of difficulty and based on real driving test questions:http://www.zerotracas.com/securite_routiere/revision_gratuite_code_route_679.html#Good luck all! [:D]PS: turn on your speakers and practice your French at the same time! [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 I can't figure out how to get past question one! Doh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 Choose your answer on the "remote" on the right of the screen (there can be more than one correct reply) and press the green VAL button to validate.Correct answer: green smily sun and the next question follows.Incorrect answer: red sad sun and at the bottom of the screen, you can click on the yellow back arrow for the explanation. Then click on VAL to continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 That's my problem - it's too far down the page to see a Val button. And it explains why it looks sad when I got the answer right![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 There is a time limit to reply to each question. If that's exceeded, it fails you anyway!My test opens in a medium-sized pop-up window. Does not yours? Can you right-click and open it in a new tab? Am I making sense??? [8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 With a lot of fiddling about, I did manage it. But it is a struggle getting it to show me the whole page. Still, I'm not bad at it. 18 on the second test, full marks on the first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianagain Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 I remember learning the meaning of these signs (AB6 & AB7) from filling out the "I Spy in France" booklet we took on holiday to France with our children many years ago. Perhaps the AA/RAC should give out copies of this booklet at the ferry ports instead (assuming it is still in print)Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 And assuming kids would want to look at a book like that instead of playing with their gameboys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 If there were an English translation of the C dl R then I would buy it but as far as I have been able to discover the best there is is from HERE or from WHSmith who I think are offering the same thing, but the price of €20 is a bit hard to swallow, especially as it's not a complete translation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Actually the problem with the passage protegé or not signs is that they are often almost invisible because too small and or surrounded by other signs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derf Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 [quote user="ErnieY"]If there were an English translation of the C dl R then I would buy it but as far as I have been able to discover the best there is is from HERE or from WHSmith who I think are offering the same thing, but the price of €20 is a bit hard to swallow, especially as it's not a complete translation.[/quote]It is your responsibility as a car driver in France to know the Code de la route, my advice would be to buy it and read it, with the help of a dictionary if necessary, it's not that difficult to understand, lots of pics for the Sun readers out there[6][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 [quote user="ErnieY"]If there were an English translation of the C dl R then I would buy it but ......[/quote]We're in France, why would it be published in English? I bought a copy of the Michelin C de la R 15,90€; it is a cut down version in that it doesn't contain all of the regulations, and it's aimed at learner drivers really. BUT it has lots of photographs and diagrams and is very easy to understand. It certainly covers all of the basics. For SD's overtaking question my copy says "le dépassement est toujours interdit à l'approche d'un passage piétons si quelqu'un est engagé" (my block italics), presuambly allowing it otherwise.We attended a meeting recently for UK ex-pats and organised by the area council; one of the Brits stood up to complain that all of the forms he's required to fill-in are in French! Enough said.Sid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I don't think I complained about it sid did I ?It was just an observation and a comment that I would buy one if it existed which is not to say that I wouldn't or won't buy the French one now I know it doesn't.English is my first language and until my skills in French is up to a decent standard I think it's self evident that I would learn and understand the rules more quickly and more fully from an English version than the French one via BabelFish and a dictionary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Ernie, it sounded as though you hadn't read it because there wasn't an English version; not a complaint, but an excuse maybe? Apologies if I misinterpreted it.Anyway, have a look in the bookshops or the larger supermarkets, and browse a copy of the Michelin C de la R (there is another one, but I can't remember who by). You'll see that it is quite good, and easy to follow. Armed with a dictionary it's even easier and good for your French too.I can't understand how anyone can expect to drive here and not know the rules.Sid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deauville Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 I wonder if the following link would be of any use to the average (?) French driverhttp://www.code-route.com/RDPT.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 [quote user="Sunday Driver"]What do the "white and red posts at the mouth of roads joining from the right" signify, and what is their contribution (if any) to the priorité a droite rule? [/quote]I think that, at least outside an agglomération, they show that the road really is a road (where the p.à.d. rule applies in the absence of a priority sign) as opposed to a private driveway, or an entry or exit belonging to a car park or filling station or whatever (where the p.à.d. rule does not apply). I haven't found any reliable confirmation of this, but it makes sense : if it isn't the case, how exactly would you know when a road is not a road? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Ten points + a bonus to allanb......[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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