Confused.com Guide to Driving in France

In recent years the authorities have cracked down on motoring offences, particularly speeding and drink-driving. In fact, more than 1,000 hidden speed cameras have been installed and police have stepped up random breath tests.

Laws are tough. The legal alcohol limit is 50mg in every 100ml of blood, compared to 80mg in the UK. If you’re found to be over the limit you face having your licence confiscated – or prison. And if you’re caught speeding by a patrol car you’ll have to cough up a heavy on-the-spot fine. The good news is that tougher policing is dramatically reducing road deaths across France.

One of the easiest ways to fall foul of the law is when passing through a village on a fast country road. The speed limit can drop from 90kmh to 50kmh with only the sign showing the name of the village as warning. This is important - if police catch you exceeding a limit by 40kmh or more they can confiscate your licence.

Star Drive

Sir Norman Foster’s Millau Viaduct, the world’s highest road bridge, is a breathtaking feat of engineering taller than the Eiffel Tower. It’s also incredibly handy, banishing bottlenecks on the journey south along the A75 between Clermont-Ferrand and the Mediterranean.

The bridge, which opened in 2004, was built to divert traffic away from the pretty Roman town of Millau. Ironically, Millau, now free of tourists, is once again a great place to visit. It also boasts gobsmacking views of the bridge soaring overhead. So the smart move is to cross the bridge in one direction (toll €5.40 rising to €7.00 July & August) and, in the other, take the back roads into Millau.

Best of the Rest

Whether it’s beaches, mountains, rolling farmland or winding valleys that light your spark plug, France has enough spectacular drives to keep you gee-whizzing for years on end. The trick, during summer at least, is to get off the beaten track. So rather than sit in a jam on the Cote d’Azur, head north along the Ardeche, where the road twists and climbs as it follows the valley past unspoilt villages, tiny sandy beaches and historic castles.

In Brittany, avoid the busy resorts and take the coast road from Morlaix to Le Conquet past fishing villages, pretty coves and lighthouses. Or potter around Alsace – Europe’s most attractive wine region, where the route between Obernai and Soultz is dotted with exquisite medieval villages, gothic churches and vineyards.

Laws of the Land

• All car passengers must wear seatbelts if fitted
• Children under 10 are not allowed to sit in the front of a car unless: the car has only front seats; there are no seatbelts in the back; children under 10 already occupy the back seats. Only approved child seats can be used in the front seat but passenger side airbags must be deactivated if using a rear-facing child seat
• In built-up areas horns should only be used in emergencies
• In the mountains in winter you must have winter tyres or snow chains
• Don’t park on a single yellow line - you could be towed away
• If you witness a serious accident you are legally obliged to offer assistance. At the very least, call the emergency services by dialling 18. The Pompiers - the fire brigade - will co-ordinate other services
• Motorcyclists must dip their headlights during the day and wear crash helmets (including passenger)

• Lower speed limits apply in the wet
• Lower speed limits apply if you’ve held a licence for less than two years
• Radar detectors are illegal

Local Knowledge

On a narrow or congested road an oncoming driver who flashes his lights at you is not inviting you to pass first. He means: “I’m coming through - whether you like it or not”. On main roads the same signal could be a warning of a police speed trap.

In France, as in much of continental Europe, drivers tend to treat cyclists with respect and give them a wide berth. Pedestrians, on the other hand, get short shrift. However, this too is changing with a recent law stating that drivers must stop for people on pedestrian crossings.

The baffling French law that gives priority to drivers entering a road from the right has largely been phased out. However, it persists on some roundabouts and built-up areas. If you’re pulling onto a main road a yellow diamond sign indicates that you need to give way. In the countryside it’s best to be wary of cars entering from the right – even where they don’t have the right of way.

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