We were rather dreading it, as tailgating is bad enough already so we’re concerned that it would just be even worse. We are generally law abiding so respect speed limits…but know full well that round here we are in the minority.
However, we were pleasantly surprised yesterday and today as people seemed to be respecting the limits despite the fact that every speed camera nearby has been painted over. Hope not just a honeymoon.
What’s your experience been?
Didn’t notice anything different yesterday.
Our “local” speed camera is always getting painted, sometimes it wears a poubelle too 
Out today for the first time. More cars queuing behind me than usual but apart from one exceptionaly fast maniac in a BMW, people seemed to be driving closer to 80 than 90.
First time out today and it was a bit strange. The car didn’t really feel comfortable in 4th or 5th gear so not sure what it’s doing to fuel economy.
Definitely more tailgating as well.
All the signs have been changed here so it’s clear when the limit is 80 on a single lane road and 90 when it briefly becomes a dual carriageway.
The fastest car on the road was a taxi. Went zooming past me. He is well aware there are no police around to enforce the speed limit no matter what it is.
Strangely, the car we were out in on Sunday… seemed quite happy at 80kph… and this is a car that “tells you” when it is not happy … so the driver must have been doing something right…
A few plonkers zoomed up behind, then screamed past at what OH reckoned was well over 100kph… and, of course, they do not get flashed at the camera since some other plonker has painted over it…
We only did a 40k round trip on D roads. Haven’t seen any 80kph signs at all yet. Time will tell but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if everyone gets bored and reverts to normal. No police around here either.
None of the D roads have ever had signs on them around here (81).
The signs I saw were on the National road.
Hadn’t thought of that. We’d have to go a long way to find an N road.
Chris… if you did not see 90 then you won’t see 80… but I would reckon you have seen the “national speed limit applies” signs when leaving villages etc…
… and even if you don’t see the signs… it still applies… 
Must remember to take my blinkers off…
Oh you are a potty person… 
All joking apart, it is a sobering thought that many Brits are unaware of the "invisible"speed signs… (such as entering/leaving villages)…
and how can we tell that the offending cars are Brits… either because of the UK number plate or else they have French registration plus a huge GB sticker on the back… 
Well I’ve been practicing my 80kph but now in my French LHD that finds 80kph uncomfortable…or maybe that’s me…no 80 signs round here as yet…I got tailgated on my way back from the airport Thursday…it could have been the tailgater politely letting me know by his aggressively drawing alongside…glaring…fist waving that I was driving too close to the grass verge…??? x 
Lovely visit to Perigueux this evening for our monthly club meeting…
On the way we found a 90kph sign… all new and gleaming… which allows that speed for the portion of road where there are 2 lanes going in the same direction, with just one lane oncoming… (no barrier as such, but this is obviously a “special” speed for certain sections)
As we left our own 2-lane stretch another sign took us back to 80kph… and I realised that it did make sense…
Anyway, no problems, everyone driving considerately… phew…
I just drove around at 112 as I usually do, no tailgating …
Hooray for the UK 
That doesn’t fit with the definition that explains that there must be a physical barrier between the two traffic flows.
I travelled a fair way on an N road yesterday and although there were several stretches of two lane in one direction, one in the other there was no speed distinction. There was however noticeable bunching of the traffic, not really tailgating just travelling in tightly bunched groups of several vehicles.
To emphasise the stupidity of the limit I kept to 80kmh for about 80km of wide, well surfaced N road then maintained the same speed for much of the last 4km of D road to my house. 80kmh on the N road was unnecessarily slow and impossible to understand how it could be safer than at 90 or even 100, 80kmh on the D road was too fast and probably irresponsible, but hey, what does common sense and consideration have to do with anything, I stuck to the speed limit.
It’s interesting to see how different departments have catered for the change; the Creuse’s stance has been commented on before but the Hautes Alpes have raised over 75% of their 70kmh limited stretches of road to 80. They must have felt that there was a need to reduce speed in those locations before, why do they think that need has disappeared?
Hi David… this was in the News a few days ago… and I remember making the same observation as you have… IMO that decision is just plain stupid. 
The official reason the Haute Alpes gave for removing the 70kph was that they did not wish to over-restrict the drivers.
Regarding the new 90 sign on part of the route last night… this was mentioned in the News on a separate occasion. There are certain Departments, who are fully complying with the new directives, but they asked to include a “special” 90 sign on certain, short bits of road… where it could be judged to be “non-dangerous” and an aid to traffic flow.
I had read about it, but not visualized what they meant… it suddenly became clear last night.
You can’t miss the signage, on entering and leaving this special section… and it works…
The speedier folk zoomed past, overtaking everything in sight… fair enough.
Some cars returned to 80 as soon as the 80 sign re-appeared at the end of the “overtaking” stretch.
Some cars carried on at 90… some went on to 90+++ in spite of the 80 sign.
Knew I’d read it somewhere… the “90” allowed on some bits, is mentioned quite clearly…but, unless 90 is “signed” the 80 persists (or whatever sign is active… could be less in some circumstances…) 
"3: 80 km/ h sur les autres routes. Toutefois, sur les sections de ces routes comportant au moins deux voies affectées à un même sens de circulation, la vitesse maximale est relevée à 90 km/ h sur ces seules voies. Ces sections font l’objet d’une signalisation routière dans les conditions prévues par l’article R. 411-25.
My view is that the blanket reduction to 80 will do little, if anything, to reduce either the incidence or the severity of accidents. What would be a better use of resources is to properly analyse the accident statistics and reduce the speed limit to a more sensible level in those locations where it is known that accidents occur with higher frequency due to the causational factor of speed.
There are many country roads where even 60 is far too fast, and numerous dangerous bends where the limit on the approach should be down at 40 or 50.
On the other hand, there are also long stretches of virtually straight, wide, D and N roads that have few hazard factors of any description, where it is perfectly safe to be doing 100 or even 110.
The speed limits should be tailored to the road in question. All a blanket system achieves is to bring the whole system into disrepute. Folks just slow down where they know there is a camera, and then go back to driving at a reasonable speed for the nature of the particular road that they are using.
There will always be those who will ignore the speed limits, whatever it is, and this reduction from 90 to 80 will do nothing to change their driving habits at all.
What is needed is some enforcement of sensible rules instead of blanket reductions of speed limits that only serve to increase the incidence of bunching and following too closely.