The French - Officially The Worst In Europe for

… ‘‘remembering’’ (!) to indicate. Worst offenders are in Brittany - apparently… :slight_smile: Fancy that…

https://auto.bfmtv.com/actualite/les-francais-au-volant-en-bretagne-le-clignotant-est-en-option-1676426.html

1 Like

Indeed. Negotiating roundabouts in Britanny in particular is often a matter of psychic awareness.

Oops. Brittany of course; getting the new glasses soon!

The really crazy thing is that a lot of the congestion encountered at roundabouts is caused by drivers failing to indicate correctly, or even worse, actually using the indicators to give the wrong signal.
I have witnessed drivers who indicate right and approach a roundabout in the right hand lane, and then promptly go all the way around the outside edge of the roundabout and take the third exit because they actually want to turn left.
I have also seen driving school cars containing only the driver (presumably the instructor), giving erroneous signals at roundabouts, so one wonders what hope there is of the students being taught the correct procedure.

Indicators are obviously a luxury option not available on many cars,eg only a very few Audi drivers order them.

6 Likes

Most of them are usually trying to navigate the 12 roundabouts in Dreux and 6 in Chartres the same time as me, on the route to and from Dieppe​:persevere::persevere:

Try driving around various towns in the Tarn…
Indicators are very much on option here, as is driving ability…spatial awareness in particular.

Roundabouts in Dreux, Chartres…and Rodez!

It really surprises me that many French drivers insist on sitting in the right hand lane of two approaching a roundabout and end up queuing regardless of the final exit they want to take. Many a time I have bowled along the left hand lane, constantly looking into the roundabout to read the situation, regulated my approach speed, and then smoothly entered, slipped around and exited before the car on the right at the head of the queue has even moved!

I wonder if it has something to do with a possibility that roundabouts are a fairly ‘new’ phenomenon in Europe? All through the 1970’s whilst touring, we only ever came across one - and that was upon exiting the port of Zeebrugge!

It amazes me that people seem to be taught to approach a roundabout in the right hand lane in order to turn left.

Mmmmm… I wonder how we define “French Drivers”… :thinking:

Considering that the majority of Forum members “appeared” to own LHD cars ( in a recent discussion)… :thinking:

It could well be that “The French” … are, in fact, “The English Abroad”… who haven’t a clue how to drive in France… :smile::rofl::joy:

1 Like

Not long back, I saw a woman in a huge 4x4 drive round the roundabout several times outside the airport in Carca…each time she went round she stopped dead, nearly causing a collision…eventually she parked behind me. I went to ask if she was lost, & she replied that she kept going round because each time she thought she caught sight of her husband…

Makes complete sense to me… she was looking for… or had lost … her husband.

Or else… her husband was somewhere “where he was not expected to be”… enough to turn any of us sane drivers… totally barmy. :wink:

Down here in the deep South - it can be like the Wild West! The local ‘penchant’ is for overtaking on blind bends, hills and solid white centre lines - all of course after the obligatory tailgating. I really don’t care if offenders kill themselves but their absolute disregard for anyone else is astounding!

4 Likes

Mmm… nope… makes complete sense, yet again… all the Brits in the Deep South… they haven’t got a clue… no more than the French… so all bets are off when one takes to the roads… :wink:

Cheers Stella…I’m with Simon on this one…local dickheads are numerous, & 99% French

2 Likes

Rubbish… hic… how can you know the nationality of a driver… it’s just a LHD car…

Rubbish… and again … I say … Rubbish… hic…

Happy Easter one and all…

1 Like

Well, I’ve been driving here in Basse Normandie for nearly four years now, and I see no discernible difference in driver behaviour between here and UK, not in overtaking, use of indicators, going round roundabouts, speeding, parking or anything!

On the plus side, road marking and signage are IMO splendid, consistent nationwide, and the state of the highway everywhere is suberb. I always enjoy driving here, and always feel safe (but not complacent). Of course, I don’t have to drive to work or at work, so miss the busy commuter build up around towns.

Is there certain people who just post the opposite view on this site just to keep discussions going so people visiting, revenues up? Seems a reasonable view.

As my French girlfriend says in the Uk people drive quicker but she says you know what they are doing, and feel Safer. As in indicating , giving space, and thanking people for letting you out or doing the same to them . Oh and not letting the car run backwards ar junctions as you don’t know what a handbrake is for.

1 Like

Seems your here to keep the discussions going , and go opposite the trend,

1 Like

A word to the wise Barrie…never argue with “drunk-Stella”
She’ll chew you up, & blow you out as bubbles :slight_smile:

3 Likes