Your illustrative example is not a parked vehicle, its a temporarily stopped vehicle in a line of highway traffic. Although the French interpretation as you have said could be different.
Indeed. I was just trying to illustrate how it is not necessary for the vehicle to be moving, or indeed have the engine running, for the person behind the wheel to still be âdrivingâ in the eyes of the law.
If you pull off the main carriageway into a lay-by, apply the handbrake, and switch off the engine, then all the time that you remain seated behind the wheel you are still âdrivingâ in regards to the use of a hand-held phone.
Mind you, I reckon that most Gendarmes would not bother with such technicalities, and as long as one is acting reasonably, would not take any action other than a friendly word of advice, if that.
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Not according to the code de la route (qv).
My understanding of the French law is that you have to turn the engine off.
Really ? So how is âen circulationâ defined ?
found this answer to the where/how
Pour pouvoir tĂ©lĂ©phoner dans sa voiture, le vĂ©hicule doit ĂȘtre garĂ© moteur Ă©teint, sur un stationnement autorisĂ©, un parking ou une place de stationnement.
To be able to make calls in your car, the vehicle must be parked with the engine off, in an authorized parking lot, a car park or a parking space.
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