Page 19 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - France

Driving in France 17

Limits are lower if you are towing, if than babies or infants in an official INSTRUCTIONS FOR DRIVERS
you have held a licence for less than rear-facing child seat (and then only
two years, or if there is fog. when no airbag is fitted). In the back Allumez vos feux
Do not drink and drive. The blood- you must use a restraint system Switch on headlamps
alcohol content limit in France is very suited to the child’s height and
Attention travaux
low (0.05 per cent) and the penalties weight. This means a child seat is Roadworks
extremely high. required if the child weighs between
Cedez le passage
9 and 15 kg (20 and 33 lb). Above Give way
Rules of the Road this, a seatbelt and booster cushion
Chaussée deformée
Take care always to drive on the right can be used. Motorway rest areas
Bumpy or damaged road
in France. Pay extra attention at round- (aires) are ideal places for kids to let
abouts and at crossroads, where it is off steam during long journeys as Ralentissez
Slow down
easy (and dangerous) to forget or get there are often play facilities (see p18).
confused. Unless road signs indicate Rappel
otherwise, priorité à droite means that Buying Petrol Restriction continues
you must give way to any vehicle Diesel (gazole or gas-oil) and Route barrée
joining your road from the right, unleaded petrol (sans plomb) are sold Road closed
except on roundabouts or from everywhere in France. LPG (PLG) is Sauf riverains
private property. Most major roads increasingly available; leaded petrol Except for residents/local access
outside of built-up areas have the (super) decreasingly so. Large super- (after a no entry sign)
right of way indicated by passage markets and hypermarkets are the Sens unique
protegé signs. Contrary to the UK cheapest places to buy; autoroute One way
convention, if there is only room for services the most costly. Most petrol Vous n’avez pas la priorité
one car to pass, flashing headlights stations are self-service. Out of normal Give way
means the driver doing so is claiming hours, many stations have a credit-
the right of way. Other French motor- card pump but very few accept
ing rules include the compulsory anything other than French cards.
wearing of seatbelts, front and back. Village and supermarket stations Above left Road sign for the Route
For more information, consult the usually close at lunchtime, and rural Touristique du Champagne Above right Cars
websites of the UK Foreign Office stations are often closed on Sundays. on a French motorway Below far left
and Opteven (see p19). Petrol prices can vary from region to Mountain pass altitude sign near Col de Jau,
region. A French Government website Aude Below left Quiet French village road
Driving with Children (www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr) gives Below middle Autoroute toll booth Below
Children under 10 years of age are frequent updates on lowest prices in right Petrol pump Below far right Road sign
not allowed in the front seats, other each region. cautioning motorists about wildlife crossing