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Road Safety Advice for Driving on French Roads

Motorists drive on the right hand side of the road in France. If you are coming from the UK/Ireland you must get accustomed to this, as it means driving on the other side of the road!

The minimum legal driving age in France is 18 years of age.

Even if you have a full drivers licence and are under 18, you cannot drive on French roads.

You cannot drive with L-Plates as a Provisional licence holder in France. Neither can you supervise a Provisional licence holder if you accompany them as a full UK licence holder in France.

Plan your driving route(s) well in advance. Invest in a good quality France road map and have your travel route meticulously planned. You could also check out your route on other modes of road travel such as Google Maps or avail of a GPS or Sat Nav when booking your rented vehicle.

Break up the journey - France is quite a vast nation and if you are not used to driving long distances, take a break and revive yourself.

Check your vehicle thoroughly before embarking on a road trip.

All passengers must by law wear a seat belt when driving in France.

Ensure to have your driving licence, insurance certificate and vehicle registration with you at all times. The Police (Gendarmes) will always look for this information if they stop you on the road.

If you do happen to need some directions, it's probably for the best to stop at a fuel station and make some enquiries there.

If travelling in poor visibility such as rain, fog or snow, switch on your dipped headlights for the convenience of other drivers.

Children that are under 10 years of age cannot sit in the front seat.

Always lock your vehicle if you leave it, and act with due attention, especially when travelling in a foreign country. Ensure to park in a well-lit area that has plenty of traffic.

Avoid travelling at night if possible, and in very remote areas.

Don't drive if you are tired - share the journey with your co-driver(s).

All cars must have seatbelts, in both the vehicle's front and rear.

Drivers must always have a yellow florescent jacket in the car in the event of any accident. Also required is a red triangle for warning in the occasion of a breakdown or an accident.

Speed Limits in France are: 50km/hour in towns, 90km/hr on the main roads, 110km/hr on dual carriageways and 130 km/hr on motorways.

Please be aware that if you see a sign which is has a diamond shape and black and yellow colouring stating "Priorite Droit", this means that traffic joining the road on the right hand side has priority over you - even when you are travelling at speed. This road rule ends when you see the sign with a black line going through it.

If you are going to travel on a toll road, be aware that tollbooths are known as "Peages".

The blood to alcohol level limit is stricter than in the UK or Ireland. It is 0.5 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in France, compared to the 0.8 level in the UK/Ireland. Remember that if you are going to drink - do not drive!

DO NOT enter a bus lane - this is only for buses, taxis and bicyclists.

Parking spaces are quite distinctive - they are denoted by white dotted lines. If the have a sign stating "Payant" this means that you have to pay for parking, otherwise parking is free.

Make sure to store the number 112 in your cell phone, in the event that you have to contact the emergency services in France. Dialing 999 will not work!
Check out our France Travel Blog for information about Road Language in France.

Thinking of heading on a driving tour to France in the coming months? The best way to explore this vast and beautiful country is to avail of a top quality car rental. Book Car Rental France.

John writes for Novacarhire.com - an independent car hire reservation website where you can book low cost car hire at over 5000 locations worldwide.

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