Accidents and Deaths on French Metropolitan Roads

With the OH, it was actually a near neighbour. It was a narrow piece of road, and neither was going that fast. Just one of those things.

1 Like

Just a thought for those planning to walk/cycle etc on the roads … to save fuel… or just for the fun of it…

Remember to wear as much hi-viz as possible with these misty/murky autmn days… and dusk… is particularly dangerous… NOT being seen in time can be the end!!!
walkers can carry a torch… and the bike needs lights and a bell…

The gendarmes always issue these warnings around this time of year… and it makes sense…

1 Like

I suppose that makes some sort of sense, it would help if more (any ?) French roundabouts were marked with lanes that spiral out as you go round.

The Arc de Triomphe is its own special hell, of course.

They do have to give way. It’s in the French equivalent of the highway code. @Stella has a link in another thread as to how roundabouts work in France.

I had to drive around the AdT in the early 2000s. My French colleague at the time said to just drive around the roads trying not to actually hit anyone, indicate for the turning I wanted and to then simply take the turn and all would be fine. And it was.

The following day when we met up he had significant damage to his car, where someone had driven into him. :stuck_out_tongue:

2 Likes

It seems that if one is told “cede la passage” at the entry point… you wait your turn to join the throng… but once on the RA you are King…

If there is NO “cede le passage” sign at entry… those already on the RA have to give way “to those joining from the right”…

and what are you suggesting?

Of course there is always the option of dealing with troublesome roundabouts this way;

7 Likes

That’s right @Stella , but your link also says that for a ‘normal’ roundabout, where you give way on entry, if it’s multi lane, when on the inside of the roundabout you must give way to traffic on your right (in the outside lane). It even says that if you cannot exit where you want because of traffic on your right, you must do another full circuit of the roundabout and try again.

2 Likes

Witnessed that in Dreux, unfortunately the person perfomed it in front of a lorry which didnt end well.

I’ve been round a roundabout more than once… in UK and in France… :joy: :rofl: :roll_eyes:

As a retired Police Officer, I can say that whilst I attended many motorcycle accidents in the UK, I never saw one happen. Within a few years of moving here, I saw three in a short space of time and we live in a village of less than 2500. We have also had more fatal incidents involving cars than I would have believed possible for a small commune. The biggest killer of teenage youth in France is the motos. They are supposed to be restricted, but the kids remove the restrictions and there appears to be no inspections.
The main problem here I think is the ditches on either side of the road. They often cause the car to flip.
There is no education for road users here in term of Traffic Officers stopping and discussing poor driving as there is in the UK. It’s quite a surprise the poor driving skills adopted by many when you see how good the driving schools can be, especially with the Conduit Accompagnée.

The problem with the tuned up motos is that Les Petit Herberts don’t upgrade the brakes according and insist on using those enduro dual surface tyres.

Added to the knackered/cheap suspension, this means coming to rapid and controlled halt on anything but dry flat tarmac is simply down to blind luck.