Jill<br><br>Jill (99) Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I've just had the most horrendous journey between Cherbourg and Avranches, started out just after 11pm and it took 2 hours 22 to do the 95 mile journey. It was raining and really difficult to see the road markings because of the headlights shining on the rain. The white lines were quite far apart and some were faded. At some points I went as slowly as 30 miles per hour as I just could not see far enough ahead to have the slightest idea which way the road would go. I'm just amazed that there were no cats eyes - at least on the motorway! But the worst was the N13. The best bits were on the contra-flow - at least you had something to show where you were meant to be driving! If I had seen a cheap hotel near an exit of the road, I would have turned off and booked in!We don't usually drive at night when we are in France as usually were are here in the summer or Easter and anyway, we are usually back by about 5pm in order to cook a meal and eat. So, it has never occurred to us how bad it is before. Please tell me there are cats eyes in some places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil & Pat Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Don't recall seeing any around here Jill, the retroreflective paint is not very good either (even where it's not worn out). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Not invented here, judgeing by roundabout AKA traffic circles, there will be thousands of them introduced by 2100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 [quote user="Anton Redman"]Not invented here, judgeing by roundabout AKA traffic circles, there will be thousands of them introduced by 2100. [/quote]2100? Anton tell me you mean 2010 [blink] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Perhaps Percy Shaw never got to France, but I also hold with the "not invented here" version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterG Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Percy Shaw invented the "cat's eyes" after driving home, one foggy night, from Halifax..........His car's headlights reflected in the eyes of a cat which was walking toward him, along the road . This gave him the idea to invent the cat's eyes, for the safety of drivers. If the cat had been walking the other way.....no doubt, he would have invented the pencil sharpener. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscar Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 [:D][:D][:D][:D]Never seen them around here either - but I most certainly agree with you Jill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krusty Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 There is an opportunity here , the cats eye factory would be in overdrive and think of all the employment installing them to French roads , especially now Nicholas wants the French to start working on Sundays.[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I'm sure I heard recently that the cat's eyes in the UK are beginning to show their age and that they were eventually going to be replaced with something different. The clever thing about cat's eyes is that they self-clean when they retract themselves as a car runs over them. Given that they last a lifetime, why change the system ? Oh, no, don't tell me, not enough money in the coffers.[:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisb Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 They certainly don't last a lifetime and need replacing regularly.I agree that it takes a lot of getting used to not having them in France and I often think that there would be a lot less dents in the safety barriers if lanes were marked in this way.On the other hand you have to take the cruelty aspects into account. You used to see advertising signs in Norfolk quite regularly "Cat's Eyes Removed" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Perhaps a good reason to stay in the UK, since you obviously find it superior Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 [quote user="PeterG"]Percy Shaw invented the "cat's eyes" after driving home, one foggy night, from Halifax..........His car's headlights reflected in the eyes of a cat which was walking toward him, along the road . This gave him the idea to invent the cat's eyes, for the safety of drivers. If the cat had been walking the other way.....no doubt, he would have invented the pencil sharpener.[/quote]Trevor Bayliss tells this story when he speaks at schools. The teachers fall about and the kids look bemused... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 [quote user="NormanH"]Perhaps a good reason to stay in the UK, since you obviously find it superior[/quote]Ah! It is not permitted to suggest improvements to La Belle France, then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyF Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 [quote user="NormanH"]Perhaps a good reason to stay in the UK, since you obviously find it superior[/quote]Good grief, it's not a competition, you know. Some of us actually manage to love France and the UK at the same time. [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I think cats eyes are unique to the UK only. I've never seen any in Europe (although I've only ever been to France, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy) and in Australia they have like white reflective flaps that stick up. I don't know if they exist in other countries, but in my experience they do not.Cats eyes were a brilliant idea and I don't know why it never took off in other countries.R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krusty Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Percy`s home ...no carpets ?read onhttp://madeupinbritain.camio.co.uk/index.php?title=Road_Cat's_Eyes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 But he drank Worthington White Shield, which makes him OK in my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarksinfrance Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 While cats eyes do not seem to be in evidence here, the new type of reflective lane markers do exist to some extent. Every juction on a dual carriageway or autoroute (in Brittany at least) has these markers to show the junction. I can only assume the cost of retro fitting to all the lane markers and edge markers on just the major roads in France would be truely prohibitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 [quote user="Jill"]... It was raining and really difficult to see the road markings because of the headlights shining on the rain. The white lines were quite far apart and some were faded. At some points I went as slowly as 30 miles per hour as I just could not see far enough ahead to have the slightest idea which way the road would go. ...[/quote] Jill, I suppose your headlights were correctly adjusted? I was puzzling over how little I could see in the dark en route to visit some friends a few months back. They posed the same question, and when I fiddled with the little dial by the steering wheel that raises and lowers the beam, I found that it made a huge difference to my forward visibility when I raised it slightly. Maybe I had lowered it, to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic on an occasion when I had had a heavy load in the back.Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 [quote user="Loiseau"] and when I fiddled with the little dial by the steering wheel that raises and lowers the beam, I found that it made a huge difference to my forward visibility [/quote]Sorry Angela, but that did make me smile..........................[:D][:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 My OHs 2CV did that too. A likkle knob wound the lights up and down. Wonderful technology! It was helped by the fact that the headlight bulbs were 120/100 watt [:-))][8-|]!!Our Grand C4 Piccasso does it automatically [:P][:D]!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumbria2008 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 [quote user="Jill"]I've just had the most horrendous journey between Cherbourg and Avranches, started out just after 11pm and it took 2 hours 22 to do the 95 mile journey. It was raining and really difficult to see the road markings because of the headlights shining on the rain. The white lines were quite far apart and some were faded. At some points I went as slowly as 30 miles per hour as I just could not see far enough ahead to have the slightest idea which way the road would go. I'm just amazed that there were no cats eyes - at least on the motorway! But the worst was the N13. The best bits were on the contra-flow - at least you had something to show where you were meant to be driving! If I had seen a cheap hotel near an exit of the road, I would have turned off and booked in!We don't usually drive at night when we are in France as usually were are here in the summer or Easter and anyway, we are usually back by about 5pm in order to cook a meal and eat. So, it has never occurred to us how bad it is before. Please tell me there are cats eyes in some places. [/quote]I always let my husband drive at night, perhaps you should do the same. If you don't have a husband maybe some othe male relative. He votes for me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard-R Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 No trouble with them being kept clean in France (if they had them) give that everyone drives on the white line!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Cats eyes are fairly common in the U.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumbria2008 Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Have you ever tried to get one out with a blunt kitchen knife? It's a lot harder than one might suppose but well worth the effort.... They are little glass balls, like large marbles. They even have a sort of windscreen wiper on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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