I generally stay out of the political threads because it seems to bring out the very worst in people and civilised discussion is almost impossible. And I would rather try to be friends with most people.
Certain subjects set people off and sparks fly, it’s quite normal. 
Especially in this country where people seem to enjoy nothing more than having a good old barney across the table over politics!
Also, the logic behind the 80kph limit is not only to do with road safety - it’s the point beyond which you start wasting a lot of fuel - see my post in another thread for details:
Some departments have gone back to 90, in other departments it is quite confusing.
The Waze app usually is updated with the current speed limits and that does help avoid confusion.
"Also, the logic behind the 80kph limit is not only to do with road safety - it’s the point beyond which you start wasting a lot of fuel "
After the Presidential Elections the government has this week issued an updated set of rules for motorists in an attempt to clear up what actions are legal to perform when behind the wheel of a car.
Speed limits on rural roads alternating between 80 kph and 90 kph coupled with a recent crackdown on mobile phone usage had caused confusion as to what road users were and were not allowed to do while driving. With taking a call on a hands-free kit being a legal grey area yet operating a radio or CD player remaining within the law.
Fears that drivers would soon face penalties for other distractions such as lighting a cigarette or talking to a passenger were quashed today with the publication of a list of do’s and don’ts from the Government, clarifying that activities such as eating an apple and making obscene gestures at fellow road users are all still perfectly legal.
“To keep the roads as safe as possible, drivers must be as distraction free as possible” said Minister for Transport Tarkin Dahpiss.
“But we understand that they cannot have their hands on the wheel the whole time. Motorists will be allowed to make obscene gestures such as giving the middle finger or the wanker gesture, providing it is safe to do so at the time”.
The wanker gesture, traditionally a lightly closed fist moved in a short to-and-fro motion, although some variants exist, is normally used to convey feelings of frustration and anger while encountering anti-social motoring behaviour such as stopping in bus lanes or not knowing how to properly use a flipping roundabout. It’s still-legal status has come as a relief to many, including Parisian taxi-driver Asif Imreel.
“I’m in full support for safety measures on the roads” said Asif, speaking to every passenger he had today.
“But thank God we’re still allowed to express our anger while driving. There had been fears that the new legislation would have forced motorists in instances of road rage to first seek a safe place to pull over on the side of the road, before switching off the engine and turning on the hazard lights in order to legally tell the guy driving at 20kmph in a bus lane exactly what you thought of him”.
Just watched a very good and balanced and in depth analysis of the election outcome and future prospects on last night’s BBC2 Newsnight from Paris. Much more thoughtfull than the instant news politicos, well worth warching for those who want to know what the implications of Sunday and what the next few years might look like.
This seems a curiously English conversation about speed limits. The French appear much more pragmatic, as they do in many other areas, and simply ignore them for the most part, usually driving within the limits if they know of a camera. Of course there are exceptions, but on each of our recent trips, speeding was the norm, and those driving at the speed limits seemed to collect a fair tailback if they could not be passed.
Which wouldn’t be so bad if the standard of driving was better! I do question what driving instructors here do. And roads here are far less congested, so accident rates should be lower than the UK. But they are way higher!
Interesting.
Make lots and lots of money if the prices of lessons and tests are anything to go by 
I think you’re wrong on a number of counts there Ancient Mariner…
- The discussion of speed limits here is very much like discussions in France
- It’s really not possible to generalise about ‘the French’ on this kind of subject - ask any Breton about Paris drivers (or Corsicans!)
- In my experience, speed limits are far more widely ignored in the UK anyway - you’re in danger of reflecting that Daily Mail view of EU regulations - the wonderful law-abiding Brits stick to them to the letter while the greasy foreigners merely pay lip-service!
How much experience do you have of French driving instructors and driving tests Jane?
Again, my experience - and two of my children, and a number of their friends, are currently having lessons, or have recently taken tests - is that the system here is better than the UK’s - and in particular much more thorough - both instruction and testing.
Also, it’s a big leap from ‘there are more accidents’ to ‘drivers are worse’ - there might well be many other factors influencing accident figures (I can think of dozens).
Drivers know where they are going at junctions and roundabouts here in the UK. Why they keep it such a secret is a mystery.
I think more French drivers struggle with the concept of thinking and stopping distance on non- motorway roads than we do here though of course we still have countless brain dead using our motorways.
Isn’t that a generalisation in itself? 
Maybe it’s different in Brittany but in my experience of driving here there seem to be plenty of people who seem to set off from home with their indicators on to overtake and leave them on!
Not driving Audis, then 
Well, where I am, drivers on the whole are pretty good at sticking to the speed limit or at least close to it. You do get some who don’t and zoom past you at the first opportunity, but I’d say they are in a small minority. I think that driving here is so much more relaxing than driving in the UK, and I moved from a pretty rural area in the UK, in the pennines.