Drive on the right in France!!!
For those of us accustomed to driving in France it is easy to forget how strange it seems to be driving on the wrong side of the road! This is especially the case nowadays when the exit from many Cross-Channel ferry ports is straight onto a fast dual carriageway which takes you away from the town - so it can be several hours until you really have to start thinking about navigating things like roundabouts the wrong way round.
The biggest danger is pulling away after a break, like a picnic or a petrol station - especially on quiet roads in the countryside, where the only thing to signal that you are on a foreign road will be that idiot coming towards you on your side of the road, flashing his headlights and gesticulating something about foreigners, which fortunately you cannot understand. I suspect we have all done it. I went one better a few years ago - after a couple of weeks driving around France I drove back (alone) through rural Hampshire, and after a brief stop pulled off onto the wrong side of the road in England!! - very embarassing, but fortunately no damage done except to the nerves of the poor motorist coming the other way! The best thing is to always park or pull-off onto the right-hand side of the road and/or delegate one of your passengers to do a “pre-flight” check at the start of any journey or after a stop!
There is an article in the Telegraph (21 April 07) about the town of Flers (61 Orne, Normandy) where they have put up signs in English reminding drivers to drive on the right! This follows a couple of fatal accidents caused by british motorists, for whom Flers is but an hour or 50 miles south from the ferry terminal at Caen/Ouistreham - and offers a convenient coffee stop after the overnight ferry.
There is plenty for the foreign motorist to be aware of in France - especially the notorious “Priorité à Droite” rules which still apply. especially in towns and rural roads - although fortunately not on autoroutes or other major routes (nor on roundabouts, where the traffic on the roundabout has priority).
The sign at the top of this page is not just a “crossroads” sign as we know it in the UK - it is the sign for a junction (not necessarily a crossroads) where you do not have priority - the vehicle coming from your right has priority!!
On the panel below the two signs on the left indicate that you do have priority - those on the right say you should give priority to traffic coming from the right! If in doubt - be prepared for some sticky moments!
For more on driving in France see www.frenchduck.co.uk
Salons des Vins (Wine Fairs) - Vignerons Independants (Independent Wine Makers) 2007.
