Both motorbikes and bicycles are dangerous in France, mostly because they play by their own rules, which makes them more dangerous than cars, especially because they are small enough to go on the pavements. The general rule chez les français is if it is possible to do something then it’s allowed. It is possible to drive a bicycle or motorbike on the pavement, so most people do.
Motorbikes on the road are just as scary on the road as on the pavement though, and in the same thought as ‘if you can then go ahead’, they will overtake you on the road no matter what speed you are going, just because they can.
Bicycles are in a category all of their own, as well as going on the pavement in heavily pedestrianised areas (even if there is a cycle lane on the road), they have their own set of rules that no-one else follows. They don’t follow any road rules as far as I can tell. They follow even less rules than cars! They don’t stop at red lights or follow one-way-traffic laws. If there is a pedestrian in their way they expect them to ‘sense’ there is a bike hurtling towards them and get out the way, because the cyclist will not shout, ring a bell or do anything to let you know they are about to hit you. They won’t even swerve. Why should they get out of your way, if you won’t get out of theirs? This means that if you have been in France for any amount of time it is likely you will have been almost run over by an equal amount of bikes as cars.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Rules of the road: Cars
Aside from driving on the ‘wrong-hand-side’ (which makes roundabouts confusing), there are various rules or quirks with French traffic that are useful to know.
Cars: Every single car in France believes it has more of a right to be on the road than everyone else. They are always in a hurry and easily angered, so each day you spend in France you are guaranteed to hear cars beeping angrily at each other. There is also a widespread lack of respect for basic traffic rules. Like the speed limit. And slowing down when going round corners or reaching junctions. If you need to stop, the emergency brake is very useful. The amount of times French cars come screeching to a halt, their tyres must need to be changed once a month, at least! You’re not in France unless you’ve been nearly run over by some vehicle or another. At traffic lights, as soon as the light goes from red to green (no amber, that would be too leisurely) everyone thinks they own a Lamborghini or Ferrari (nice cars like this obviously don’t exist in France unless you’re in St Tropez, in which case they all come from Monaco.) and they try to make their rusty Ford or Vauxhall go 0-60 in 3 seconds. Even if there’s someone still crossing. (ESPECIALLY if there’s someone still crossing) Like I said, you’re not in France till you’ve been nearly run over. It’s the near-death experiences that make life so vibrant! Indicating is also unnecessary. People will see what way you’re going when you turn.
Cars: Every single car in France believes it has more of a right to be on the road than everyone else. They are always in a hurry and easily angered, so each day you spend in France you are guaranteed to hear cars beeping angrily at each other. There is also a widespread lack of respect for basic traffic rules. Like the speed limit. And slowing down when going round corners or reaching junctions. If you need to stop, the emergency brake is very useful. The amount of times French cars come screeching to a halt, their tyres must need to be changed once a month, at least! You’re not in France unless you’ve been nearly run over by some vehicle or another. At traffic lights, as soon as the light goes from red to green (no amber, that would be too leisurely) everyone thinks they own a Lamborghini or Ferrari (nice cars like this obviously don’t exist in France unless you’re in St Tropez, in which case they all come from Monaco.) and they try to make their rusty Ford or Vauxhall go 0-60 in 3 seconds. Even if there’s someone still crossing. (ESPECIALLY if there’s someone still crossing) Like I said, you’re not in France till you’ve been nearly run over. It’s the near-death experiences that make life so vibrant! Indicating is also unnecessary. People will see what way you’re going when you turn.
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