Driving in France

So I've had the car for almost 2 weeks now, and it's a miracle nobody's died yet. I had been warned about the French and their driving, but nothing could have prepared me for this. I'll break it down by pinpointing the key areas:

1. Their unnecessary speed. I don't know whether it's because I'm driving an old banger and can't really get over 100km/h, but they seem insistant on going as fast as possible and getting as close as possible to my bumper, to remind me I'm not going quick enough. It's a wander their F1 drivers aren't more successful, even after 2 weeks driving here I feel confident for a GP or two.

2. Roundabouts. I have spoken to a few people, french included, about the roundabout etiquette here in France. A definitive answer still evades me. Although there are 'give way' signs, it appears that anything goes at a roundabout. To be safe, I usually stop out of principal before getting onto one, but this also proves problematic as no one behind is expecting to stop. The result is an awkward, kangaroo-jack shuffle onto the roundabout. My advice, have a good look at what's coming up, to allow you to either commit to carrying on, or having enough time to slow down safely.

3. Narrow roads. Perhaps it's just in rural parts of France, but I have noticed that the roads are dangerously narrow. Obviously when they were built, everyone was bombing around in cars no bigger than a Renault Clio, but now that people have started using bigger cars, like the Laguna, Megane, or even the Espace, it's now a very tight fit for two cars to go down some roads. Something which isn't helped by my next point.

4. Lane Usage. Or lack of it. Maybe it's a french way of thinking that they are the only one on the road, that's the only possible explanation I can think of for them driving in the middle of the road. Turn a bend and you will be faced with an oncoming car, at great speed, smack bang in the middle of the road. The only thing you can do is hug the pavement on your side and hope you don't curb it and that the other car pulls over slightly.


All in all, my advice to you if you do find yourself driving in anywhere in France, but the rural south in particular, is stick to your side of the road, anticipate everything, and always expect everyone else to drive terribly.

Apologies to any frenchmen offended by this post.