The Nigerian Mvies

The Nigerian Mvies
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Saturday 30 April 2011

Before Driving in France

By Pierre Fontaine


If you're thinking about a self drive holiday to France never forget to take the necessary papers along with you in case you get stopped by the French police. It is not unusual for police in France to set up random road checks to make sure people are driving lawfully.

If you are asked by a policeman in France for your papers while you are driving you must produce four different credentials; an official identity card, driving license, car ownership papers and insurance papers. The reason why police appear to be so strict with regards to producing papers is that car crime in France is a crucial problem.

The identity card must be a national ID card or a passport. Most foreign driving licenses are acceptable in France for up to one year of your arrival in the country. Card ownership papers are known as cart gris in French which means grey car, while insurance papers are known as cart vert, or green card.

Make sure you get both of these of the previous holder if you're buying a used car in France. Anyone caught driving in France without these papers is accountable to an instant fine at the discretion of the police officer involved.

Always make photocopies of your car related papers and never leave your insurance and ownership proofs in the car. Car crime in France is widespread and you don't want to be a victim without the appropriate papers to report to the police.

While driving in France, be mindful of the fact that you are outside your own country and the rules certainly are different. For example it is a traffic error in France if you turn right at red light, while it is legal in the US. Otherwise it should be a pleasant experience for the drivers on the roads of France.

Drivers from your right are given prime concern and awareness about it is necessary while driving in France. The sizes of the two roads and T junctions are not considered in this matter. There is an expectation of slowing down the speed and hence as a matter of fact French drivers convert smaller paths into busy main roads. On traffic circles definitely, priority is given to the one already on the circle.

50km p/h is the speed limit allowed in the built up roads of France. Never exceed this limit and decelerate further when you are driving on busy roads. A white sign with red borders containing the name of the place in black informs that you are entering a built up area. Similarly you can accelerate once you leave the built up area indicated by the same sign with a red diagonal line.

The driving limit on auto routes, which are the largest motorways in France, is 130 km p/h. Otherwise the driving limit is 110km p/h on dual carriageways while it's 90km p/h on smaller district roads.Unluckily speed limits in France are rarely posted on the roads so you have to be alert to these by yourself.




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