Is driving in France the pleasure it once was.
Comments
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This is a disappointment since, in general, I find most French drivers (but not young men and women) to be pretty reasonable and courteous.
They seem to like to resist overtaking, tucking close in behind till all reasonable chances of safely doing so are gone. Then they go for it.
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If driving in France is no longer a pleasure just don't visit France. My return journey from Italy avoided France completely, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and tomorrow Holland in preparation for the Ferry home. Ferry cost Hook of Holland to Harwich for
car, caravan, upgraded lounge and me, £90.50. Not bad for a 7.5hrs crossing that lands me an hour or so from home.0 -
This is a disappointment since, in general, I find most French drivers (but not young men and women) to be pretty reasonable and courteous.
They seem to like to resist overtaking, tucking close in behind till all reasonable chances of safely doing so are gone. Then they go for it.
That is so true. They will follow you up your bumper until a blind corner then overtake. Once found one such loon in a "Frite Hole" some k's further on and he was propping up the counter reading an Asterisk comic. I am not making it up.
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i agree with a lot of the comments on this issue. I have been holidaying in France on and off for the past 20 years or more. I still think the UK could learn alot about road building and maintenance. I travelled back from Fontes to Calais using a non toll route and apart from a couple of small villages/towns the standard of roads was excellent. On the issue of traffic calming i think we have to allow the french authorities to do what they consider appropriate for their areas. if you don't enjoy the N/D roads keep to the toll roads. I still believe it is a pleasure to drive in France and will continue to do so for years to come.
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Given a choice UK or France I'd go for France every time. As an ex Local Govt Highways engineer the French should be thankful that their government still spends money on the roads!!!! Traffic calming is a pain but it has worked in the UK.
The French driver, in my 30yrs experience seems to view the centre line as something to hook his front wheel over!!!
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I think one idea we could adopt from them is crawler lanes on motorways where as in England the crawler lane has to join the motorway at the end of it in France the motorway merges with the crawler lane so the result being you dont get slow traffic moving
out on the main carriageway another one is having timers on traffic lights at roadworks so you can see how long you have to wait0 -
We are just back from five weeks in France. We certainly noticed the extra traffic calming measures - speed bumps and chicanes but we especially noticed that the Frech seem to have developed a love affair with roundabouts with a huge increase in their number. I think that this is a farly new phenonomen. Consequently, the French do not seem to know how to drive round them with erratic signalling, last minute changes of direction, driving too fast and wildly differing lines.
This is a disappointment since, in general, I find most French drivers (but not young men and women) to be pretty reasonable and courteous.
..So basically the same type of drivers as some in UK, only with a lot more space to do it
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I think one idea we could adopt from them is crawler lanes on motorways where as in England the crawler lane has to join the motorway at the end of it in France the motorway merges with the crawler lane so the result being you dont get slow traffic moving
out on the main carriageway ...I can't think of where the near side crawler lane has to rejoin in Blighty .....
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Spent 9 weeks this year driving in France & Spain. Not seen a Pothole!!!!
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On the whole the French driving standards are not to bad compared with the UK, we were in France for 20 weeks this year, and we did have drivers trying it on, but I give as good as I get and play the awkward ones at there own game. Thought the Truck drivers wre good though.
The worst experiance I had was coming off the Shuttle in Folkestone where the lanes for the A20 M20 split an English registared Disco that was behind me on the train decided he wanted to come into the M20 lane from the inside lane whilst level with me as the hatching started, he decided after running on to the hatching to go via the A20. that was the nearest we got to an accident in the whole of our holiday.
By the way he only started coming up the inside of me at the 100 yard marker
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We decided, despite the cost, to use the duelled N routes or toll roads. If I knock off just one motor mover motor on the rediculous humps that have appeared rash-like across France, it will be far more expensive than the tolls.
Additionally of course, there is far less stress and it is quicker. Not so pretty, but quicker and safer and after all, I'm there to enjoy myself, aren't I?
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I think one idea we could adopt from them is crawler lanes on motorways where as in England the crawler lane has to join the motorway at the end of it in France the motorway merges with the crawler lane so the result being you dont get slow traffic moving
out on the main carriageway ...I can't think of where the near side crawler lane has to rejoin in Blighty .....
I think one idea we could adopt from them is crawler lanes on motorways where as in England the crawler lane has to join the motorway at the end of it in France the motorway merges with the crawler lane so the result being you dont get slow traffic moving
out on the main carriageway ...I can't think of where the near side crawler lane has to rejoin in Blighty .....
M1 Southbound just south of Watford
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