Page 21 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - France

Driving in France 19

on a yellow safety vest before getting case of a serious accident, call the DIRECTORY
out of the car, then place the red police immediately. If you need an
warn ing triangle 30 m (100 ft) down ambulance, use the emergency RULES OF THE ROAD
the road to alert oncoming traffic phones or dial 15 or 18 (see p13).
Opteven
(see p16). On motorways, there are www.opteven.com
orange emergency phones every Parking
UK Foreign Office
2 km (1 mile), or call your break down Parking regulations vary from place
www.gov.uk/driving-abroad
service on the number pro vided by to place. Most towns operate pay-
them. They should be able to take and-display systems (horodateurs). ROAD CONDITIONS
over and contact a local breakdown Some machines accept a parking Bison Futé
(dépannage) garage. payment card, as well as cash, that www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.fr
If your vehicle is involved in a can be pur chased from a tobacconist La Chaîne Météo
minor traffic accident with a French (tabac). Parking bays for which you www.lachainemeteo.com
car, the driver will produce a form have to pay are usually indicated
CNIR
called a constat à l’amiable (if you with a blue Payant sign. Parking is www.autoroutes.fr
have a Green Card you will have an normally limited to two hours. If you Met Office
English version called a European are in a town where parking discs are 0870 900 0100, 00 44 1392 885
Accident Statement, or it can be used, the local tourist office will 680 (UK); www.metoffice.gov.uk
downloaded from the Internet). This supply you with one. Temporary
BREAKDOWN OR ACCIDENT
is an agreed statement of events. discs are also sometimes sold at
European Accident Statement
One copy of such a form (there are tabacs. Provincial towns often offer
http://european-accident-statement.
carbon layers) should be filled in with free parking from noon to 2pm. In
accidentsketch.com
personal, insurance and vehicle small towns with narrow streets,
details, a plan of the accident, and parking is confined to one side of
indications of damage. Both drivers the street only, alternating at dif-
sign this and keep a copy. You must ferent times of the month. In larger
send a copy to your insurers within cities, finding a space can be difficult.
five days. Only call the police or Cars are often “bumped” along to Above left Parking in front of Cathédrale
gendarmerie (see p13) if someone is create more room. Notre-Dame de Bayeux Above right Busy car
hurt or there is a dispute as to what Disabled drivers holding a blue park near Mont St-Michel Below far left
happened. If you do not under stand badge can park in marked disabled Three-lane French motorway Below left
what is going on, you may need to spaces. However, parking on roads is Road sign for a cycling route Below middle
accompany the other driver to the not automatically free. In some time- Road sign near the Pyrenees Below right
nearest gendarmerie to make a restricted car parks, no time limit Road winding through snowcapped peaks in
statement (procès-verbal or PV). In applies to blue-badge holders. the Rhône-Alpes region