If you decide to drive on the roads of France, leave behind the papers that should be produced when a check is conducted by the police as it is customary on the part of the French police to conduct surprise checks to ensure that everything is perfect law-wise in driving.
An official ID card, papers confirming car ownership, insurance documents and driving license are the documents which should be produced to the police if asked to during driving in France. Car crimes in France is a growing menace and hence the periodical checks.
National card or a passport would serve as the ID card. Foreign licenses too are accepted in France but they are valid up to a period of one year from the time of your arrival in the country. Cart gris or grey card is the official card ownership proof and the cart vert or green card is the official insurance document.
In case of your ownership of pre-owned cars be careful in producing the related proofs which you should have procured before your arrival in France if asked by the police. You may be charged fine if you do not present them on enquiry.
Ensure that you have the photocopies of these papers related to your car and do not leave back these papers in your car as car crimes are on the rise in France and you should not be a victim either to the theft or to the checks by the police of France.
Driving in France can be a absolutely pleasant experience provided you to remember you’re in a foreign country and they do things differently in France. For example, turning right at a red light in France is illegal whereas in the US it’s fine.
Driving awareness is essential in France in the sense that drivers from your right are given more importance. They do not take into consideration the sizes of two roads and T junctions too. To slow down the speed is the key word for the drivers and so they try to make smaller paths into busy vehicle-laden roads. Of course priority is given to the one already on the circle in the case of traffic circles.
The standard limit while driving through built up areas in France is 50km p/h. When you are on the open roads of France you have to slow down to 50km p/h when you see a white sign with red borders displaying the name of a place in black, this means you’re entering a built up area. You can resume higher speed driving when you see the same sign with a red crosswise line through it which indicates that you’re leaving the built up area.
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 highways.Unluckily speed limits in France are rarely posted on the roads so you have to be aware of these by yourself.
Driving laws in France shares alot in common with other parts of continental Europe. If you wish to do your travelling without any worries then have a look at High speed TGV trains in France.
