Priority adroit...

[Ty Korrigan]

What is the Gallic logic behind this...

[Hagar]

Ty,

I read somewhere that it originates from the days of coach and horses. Since the coach driver , sitting well back from the front horse, could not see round corners in city streets the "priority a droit" system was introduced.

The logic being that coach driver going straight ahead will always see the horses of the coach coming from the right before the driver coming from the right will see the coach crossing ahead of him.

Does that make sense ?

rgds

Hagar

 

 

[Ty Korrigan]

Thankyou Hagar, I and I am sure many people have been surprised by a micro voiture driven by an ancient de guerre/paysan suddenly appearing in front of them as if by magic!

I remain glued now to the road, the slightest hint of a road off to the right and I throw out my anchor. How the FCUK can a man tell...? One minute there is the countryside whistling by and the next I am doing an emergency stop because one of my girlfriends countrymen has manifested in front of me in a diesel powered fiberglass dinkytoy...

Which leads me onto another subject...

In the good old 53rd state of America/Angleterre there is the curious thing known as 'Lawnmower racing' Is there a future here for the tuning of these microcars...

[Teamedup]

I thought that Napolean had brought it in.

 

And it is a very good reason for hugging the crest of the road a bit, although obviously not with on coming traffic.

 

Today two people stopped to give me priority from the right where there wasn't any. And I stopped to give someone their priority and they wouldn't move............... give me strength, what a dangerous law this is.

[Dave&Olive]

sorry you are all wrong do not collect £200 when you pass go ??

It was Nelson who brought out this law after Napoleons defeat, Nelson had only one eye as you know (the right one) hence he could not see to the left so............

                 dave

[Teamedup]

 

Good one, he did it from the grave did he?

[Alexis]

The trouble with this law is that it is not everywhere.  One minute there is no prioritié à droite and the next you are rammed.

I stopped for someone the other day in the next village because he was determined to go as he had priority and he couldn't go anywhere because the left side of the road was blocked by a van and I was at the other side.....so the pillock blocked the road for everyone.  I had to go up onto the trottoir and into his road to let everyone move.

[shas]

hi, I only found out about the priority to the right last year, the hard way, when somebody inbedded their car into my right rear passenger door, am now very wary of roads on my right.

                              

 

 

[Will]

For those who may not know, in general, intersections where traffic from the right has priority can be distinguished by the absence of give way/stop signs at the intersection, and the fact that the sign warning of the intersection is a red triangle with an 'X' on it, rather than a '+' with the vertical bar thicker, which indicates you are on the road with priority.

A yellow diamond sign indicates that you are on a road which has priority  - though there is an 'end priority sign' too, which is the same with a black line through it, so don't automatically assume you have priority: the corresponding 'end' sign (usually as you leave a built up area) may have been obscured.

[Mpprh]

Hmm

It doesn't work with roundabouts does it ? Though people still try.

And I'm pretty sure there is priority from the right in Australia. But they drive on the left ?

Peter

 

 

[Richardbk]

[quote]What is the Gallic logic behind this...[/quote]

it is not only applicable in france. It is still applied an many other european countries. Drive around German housing estate and the same applies. However, more and more of these crossing points have the priority right removed by the use of the yellow diamond sign.

In addition to looking at the abvious stop or give way sign you should also look for the yellow diamond signs. Without a line it means that priority to the right is removed from that stetch of road. With a black line through it means that it has been re-established.

regs

Richard

[Hegs]

>For those who may not know, in general, intersections where traffic from the right has >priority can be distinguished by the absence of give way/stop signs at the intersection, and >the fact that the sign warning of the intersection is a red triangle with an 'X' on it,

>rather than a '+' with the vertical bar thicker, which indicates you are on the road with >priority.

This is only sort-of right. Priority to the right applies ALWAYS when there are no other indicators of priority. So while you might see the red X before a priority a droite junction, the fact that there isn't one doesn't mean you have priority. This is usually the case on industrial and housing estates, and explains that bizarre slow-fast kangaroo hopping you see as people approach a RH junction.

The same rule applies in Norway too, and in supermarket carparks!

[Richardbk]

 

the triangle with a X is a specific individual sign, but not widely used. The usual signalisation is via the yellow diamonds, which apply for a whole stretch of road.

e.g see http://www1.securiteroutiere.gouv.fr/signaux/famille.asp?sFamille=9&sSFamille=18

[Motorhead]

Priorite a droit is the general rule unless countermanded by a sign or roadmarkings. Problem is dirt tracks which  probably  need them the most often don't have them when they emerge onto roads

The rule still works very well for pedestrian traffic. observe any crowded Parisian street.

On the roads, however. it is a very outmoded principle but realise it is not the only one. The only fundamental reason why the UK drives on the left is that it enables you to brandish your sword at oncoming traffic that wont get out of your way. 

[saddie]

It does apply on some roundabouts! There is one in the centre of Objat and one in Brive (Correze). It causes absolute chaos and can snarl the traffic up completely. Most roundabouts have  "vous n'avez pas le priorité" on approach and give way marking on the roadway. If not beware.

[Richard-R]

It always seems to me that PD is on 70 kph roads. If i see a car that may just drive out i flash my lights in a very rapid fashion, to let them know i will give no quarter, which is far safer than being hit up the rear, which I witnessed not long ago. a renault fly's out from the right ( very minor road) and the saloon car on the main road had to break VERY hard, it was a shame the car following did not break in the same fashion. I understand that the PD is a very major cause of accidents in towns and also counts for a lot of deaths of pedestrtians, driver looking left and turning right at speed.

[Jonzjob]

"On the roads, however. it is a very outmoded principle but realise it is not the only one. The only fundamental reason why the UK drives on the left is that it enables you to brandish your sword at oncoming traffic that wont get out of your way."

Something else as well Motorhead, did you know that it's not the law to drive on the left in the U.K. It's only a recomendation! Causes bruddy havoc if you don't though!!! When we first moved over here I tried to educate the French about driving on the wrong side of the road. They don't have much of a sence of homour do they?

This web site was posted on the 'Speeding question' thread  by 'Derf' (Les) and there is a lot of interesting things that you can be clobbered for including not giving way to PD http://www.code-route.com/infractions.htm .

Try this one for size..........

Non respect de la priorité

R.415-4 à R.415-12

4

750

135

Suspension 3 ans

4

Quel que soit le régime de priorité

Lots more where that came form!!!

John   .

[andyh4]

[quote]it is not only applicable in france. It is still applied an many other european countries. Drive around German housing estate and the same applies. However, more and more of these crossing points have...[/quote]

Yes very true.

We have had quite experience continental drivers who have totally revised their view of Priority from the right having visited us in Germany.  Turning right with priority means that the driver does not even glance to the left.  You have priority and that is that.

 

I am not sure if French drivers take quite such a black and white approach (excuse pun) to junctions.  Where we are in France you measure the fequency of traffic with a calendar, so conflicting traffic movements get a mention in the local paper.

 

For those that find themselves having to anchor-up as soemone pulls out in front of them can I respectfully suggest you may have been driving a little too fast - we all do it though.

 

Priority from the right is however an excellent way of controlling speed in built up areas.  In our area the frequency of junctions is such that it is impossible to safely get above 50kpm for fear of an unseen vehicle coming out of a junction.

[Teamedup]

I have a friend who always takes her priority and never looks left. Personally I think that it is a very very stupid thing to do. All you need is a kid on a mobliette or bike or a car that doesn't realise and an accident and maybe a death. The attitude that the person who didn't give way is at fault won't wash with me, OK they will have some of the blame but for me it feels like the person with priority who didn't check has a lot of blame too.  And I don't care what the law says. A good and careful driver will always look and see where other traffic is.

Ofcourse jmho, but that is really how I feel about it.

[Anton Redman]

<< In the good old 53rd state of America/Angleterre there is the curious thing known as 'Lawnmower racing' Is there a future here for the tuning of these microcars... >> 

About ten years ago I stopped in a small French town which had just hosted "The 24 Minutes of Les Femmes ? ' which was a 24 minute race for the ***** things

[andyh4]

TU, I agree with you, to not even glance to see if another vehicle is about to invaid your priority is in my mind madness.  The purpose of my post was to point out to the unitiated that there are however people who do drive exactly like that.  Perhaps even a majority.  As I said in my previous post our friends are not inexperienced in continental driving and were nevertheless shocked and have totally revised how they drive.

 

The idea, perhaps that, if someone does start to pull out in front of you, you will both brake sharply and no harm will come, is likely to end in tears and the other party (who inlaw is right) will literally not know what has hit them!.  That's the message I want to get across to folk.

That's the reality and everyone driving in a priority from the right country should understand that if they cannot stop in the event of someone pulling out in front of them, then they are driving too fast.

 

While I do not think that priority from the right is a particularly safe driving regulation, it does have the advantage of being a more effective speed contol measure than lumps in the road.