Driving in France

Driving in France is quite a different experience to driving in the UK and it takes a little bit of getting used to.

Although the majority of the driving rules are similar and you will be able to drive with your EU licence, you may find that it is the little cultural differences that make the difference.

You will be able to find lots of information about the major legal differences in terms of insurance, behaviour and expectations, so let us look at the little variations that take a while to work out!

Insurance Documents

In France, you are expected to keep your insurance documents in your car at all times. If a gendarme stops you for some reason, you can be fined if you do not have proof of insurance, your EU driving licence and proof that you have a valid controle technique, the French MOT certificate. When you insure your car in France, you will usually be sent a plastic wallet along with your documents. Use this to keep your paperwork safe and put it in your glove compartment.

Flashing Your Lights

In the UK, we are used to flashing our lights to other motorists to mean 'after you' - such as if you are at a junction or someone is pulling out of a car parking space. In France, flashing your lights means the exact opposite - 'I'm coming through' - which can cause all sorts of trouble when you first start driving there. After many years of driving in the UK, it becomes your natural reaction, so be aware when in France that flashing your lights means fellow motorists will stay still and expect you to move, not the other way round.

Headlights

As French motorists drive on the right, their headlights are directed slightly to the right to reduce glare for nighttime driving. UK cars are the opposite, so the glare is right in the direction of oncoming cars. You are expected to purchase stick-on glare reducers, although these are criticised for not solving the problem. Be aware that you may be dazzling on coming cars when you drive at night, even if you have these reducers. You may first realise this when on coming cars flash you, as though to warn you to turn off your fog lights.

Controle Technique

This is the equivalent of the UK MOT, although it is only required once every two years, from four years after the car was first sold. There are a number of garages in every town that conduct the test, with prices ranging from €40 to €70, with the necessary changes on top of this basic cost. If you have an English car, your controle technique may require you to make changes to your headlights, to avoid the problems mentioned above.

Priority to the Right

In France, there is a curious road rule that priority is given to cars on coming from the right. This makes perfect sense at roundabouts, but is less effective on straight main roads. This rule means that there can be a long straight road, with cars whizzing down it, but priority is still, given to cars pulling onto this road from side roads. This takes a bit of getting used to.