Traffic Restrictions in France
If you decide to drive on the roads of France, do not forget to take with you 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 make sure that everything is perfect law-wise in driving.
If you are asked by a policeman in France for your documents while you are driving you must show four separate documents; an official ID card, driving license, car ownership proofs and insurance documents. The reason why police seem so strict concerning the producing papers is that car crime in France is a major problem.
National card or a passport would serve as the ID card. Foreign licenses too are accepted in France but they are effective 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 authorized insurance document.
In case of your ownership of used cars be careful in producing the related proofs which you should have procured prior to your arrival in France if asked by the police. You may be charged fine in case you do not produce them on enquiry.
Always make photocopies of your car related documents and never leave your insurance and ownership papers in the car. Car crime in France is rife and you don’t want to be a victim without the appropriate papers to produce to the police.
Driving in France can be a absolutely enjoyable experience provided you to remember you’re in a foreign country and they do things distinctively in France. For example, turning right at a red light in France is forbidden whereas in the US it’s fine.
Drivers from your right are given priority and consciousness about it is essential 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 so as a matter of fact French drivers convert smaller paths into busy main roads. On traffic circles of course, priority is given to the one already on the circle.
50km p/h is the speed limit permitted in the built up roads of France. Do not exceed this limit and decelerate further when you are going through busy roads. A white sign with red borders showing the name of the place in black informs that you are entering a built up area. Similarly you can increase the speed 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 biggest 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 aware of these by yourself.
French property in Limousin is quite popular with wealthy foreign buyers. In order to get more information on Driving in France please click on the links.
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