 Poster: A snowHead
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Could someone clarify what is the correct protocol / law in France with regards to using keeping left indicator on while in the outside lane in a French autoroute. I ask as I find this practice very inconsistent and only seems to happen in France. Some drivers leave it on for the the whole time they are in overtaking lane, others just indicate left then right as they change. I'd like to know what is the correct way .
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As far as I'm aware it's courtesy and not a law. Someone might elaborate as to whether it's mentioned in the French highway code as a 'should' or 'may', or if it's mentioned at all.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 11-12-18 10:43; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Ozboy, as French examiners expect you to drive as though it’s Friday night rush hour around the Champs Elysees, I don’t think there is legal guidance!
It is a French thing. My observation is that it either says “get out of my way I want past” if they are behind you or “wee wee off I’m not moving” if in front of you...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's an Italian thing too.
They're either lazy or it's a "get out my way" thing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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In theory you should leave it on for the whole time you are overtaking and indicate right when you've finished overtaking and are about to switch back to the rightmost lane.
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I do it when driving in France. No clue if it is a should or a may but I think it is pretty good, as it says, I am overtaking and going to keep going, so if you also want to overtake, get in behind me.
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It's also good on those filthy bad visibility days when there's spray, muck and bullets everywhere. Look in the mirror and be in no doubt that somebody's coming up in the outside lane. The French, of course, pull back in once having finished overtaking - the same practice would never do in the UK for the all those MLOC drivers.
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Reading threads about driving through France make me sad that I won't be driving back and forth to the Alps much in future. I generally enjoyed those drives.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
It is a French thing. My observation is that it either says “get out of my way I want past” if they are behind you or “wee wee off I’m not moving” if in front of you...
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My observation as well, flashing headlights is the next stage of “get out of my way I want past”
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@Timc, you get less flashing and tailgating if you turn on the indicator (or at least, that's my experience) as at least the bloke in the white van (as ever) knows you've noticed him.
@andy, must admit, I haven't noticed it in Italy so much, there it's usually just someone lurking 5mm from the rear bumber. Or (if Audi or BMW) doing lots of full beam flashing as they approach.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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2 observations -
1. the French are so keen to get back into the inside lane that they often carve you up, to the extent cruise control brakes you as they cut you up!
2. the last time I took a driving test I was told not to indicate when pulling back in after overtaking but only when approaching my exit slip road. I was specifically bollocked by the examiner for doing so after my underpowered KH500 took 1/2 a mile or more to struggle past a bus uphill!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Italy varies by region a bit too.
Take the Rome GRA, and cars will just permanently drive in the outside of the outside lane, permanently indicating the entire way. Not just to overtake another vehicle. They also have the concept of different positions within a lane. So being in the outside lane means you're overtaking cars in the inside, but being way out to the left with wheels in the road debris and wing mirror almost skimming the crash barrier in the outside lane with a permanent indicator means you're overtaking cars in your lane.
Only need to take care of front and right of car - if everyone does that, then left and rear are taken care of by others 
Unless a Lambo or Ferrari comes up behind, then you pull in to let it past regardless. Everyone takes care of all 4 sides of those cars.
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You get the same thing in Germany too, although I don't know what it means.
| andy wrote: |
| ... Unless a Lambo or Ferrari comes up behind, then you pull in to let it past regardless. Everyone takes care of all 4 sides of those cars. |
Actually with a noticeably quick car, people tend to notice and pull over, even when you don't particularly want them to.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
t's also good on those filthy bad visibility days when there's spray, muck and bullets everywhere. Look in the mirror and be in no doubt that somebody's coming up in the outside lane.
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I do it for two reasons:
1. "when in Rome" - sensible to follow local customs
2. For exactly Pam's reason. French roads are excellent but poorly lit versus UK ones (much bigger network, understandable) - the indicator does show up in your mirrors and alert you to the risk of pulling out.
BTW - the one thing I miss about UK roads is cats eyes - UK motorway junctions are much clearer at night because of the cats eyes.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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the French are so keen to get back into the inside lane that they often carve you up
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Absolutely true. Very irritating when you have to take your foot off just to open up a respectable distance between you. Still, on balance I find that marginally less annoying than the MLOC characters.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Ozboy,
I find its the same in uk.
Some people indicate on pulling out & back in.
Others leave it on while over taking & indicate when pulling back in.
Boy racer & white van Pricks dont bother indicating.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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the one thing I miss about UK roads is cats eyes
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Yep, cannot understand why they don't use them over here.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| philwig wrote: |
Actually with a noticeably quick car, people tend to notice and pull over, even when you don't particularly want them to. |
Driving up the M6 latiesh at night a few weeks ago and in one of the few stretches of non-roadworks I was somewhat surprised to pass a somewhat lairy McClaren driving at what must of been no more than 60mph. Presumably had a drunk Prem footballer at the wheel given it was Cheshire?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| philwig wrote: |
Actually with a noticeably quick car, people tend to notice and pull over, even when you don't particularly want them to. |
Driving up the M6 latiesh at night a few weeks ago and in one of the few stretches of non-roadworks I was somewhat surprised to pass a somewhat lairy McClaren driving at what must of been no more than 60mph. Presumably had a drunk Prem footballer at the wheel given it was Cheshire? |
Probably couldn't find 2nd gear 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| under a new name wrote: |
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the one thing I miss about UK roads is cats eyes
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Yep, cannot understand why they don't use them over here. |
I heard it was a patent thing, suppose the negoitations between central europeans and a Yorkshireman would even make Brexit look easy.
Percy Shaw invented the cat's eyes, looks like his cheese really slid off the cracker
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He became eccentric in later life, removing the carpets, curtains and much of the furniture from his isolated home, and keeping four televisions running constantly (respectively tuned to BBC1, BBC2 and ITV, all with the sound turned down)[1] with a fourth showing BBC2 in colour. On each Friday a few friends would come to the house and Percy would supply crates of bottled ale and boxes of potato crisps. He told Alan Whicker that the reason for keeping the TVs on simultaneously was so that his friends could watch whichever of the then existing channels they chose to, and there would be no arguments. One luxury was his Rolls-Royce Phantom. He never married and he died from cancer and heart disease at Boothtown Mansion, Halifax, where he had lived for all but two of his 86 years. Despite rumours of a personal fortune, his personal estate was admitted to probate in December 1976 at a value of £193,500. He was an agnostic, but his funeral was held at Boothtown Methodist Church, and he was cremated in Elland.
In 2005, he was listed as one of the 50 greatest Yorkshire people in a book by Bernard Ingham.[2] |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Shaw
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@philwig, I used to drive Glasgow-Edinburgh on a very frequent basis and my then boss, who was a bit of a character and a real petrol head had suggested that it was entirely reasonable to have a Fiat Coupe Turbo in Fly Yellow as my rep mobile.
I found it pleasingly amusing to often have the car in front swiftly make room as this came up in their rear view mirror (usually around 90mph as I was younger and stupider)
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The answer, of course, is to drive to the Alps and back on a scenic route, thus avoiding these irritating up-your-back bottom drivers, and taking in some French culture/good food/conversation along the way.
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be nice if in the UK we simply kept to the left except when overtaking.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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,,,
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Tue 11-12-18 16:50; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Jude1 wrote: |
| The answer, of course, is to drive to the Alps and back on a scenic route, thus avoiding these irritating up-your-back bottom drivers |
I can assure you it makes no difference, you can slow down but they still won't overtake. I think their logic is that I should speed up. Conversely, i am happy to follow french plated cars on the assumption they adhere to the speed limit and know where the speed cams are so I can admire the scenery without to much worry.
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| under a new name wrote: |
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the one thing I miss about UK roads is cats eyes
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Yep, cannot understand why they don't use them over here. |
It's because of the way they clear their roads in winter. Cats eyes and snowplow blades don't mix well.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Ozboy wrote: |
| Could someone clarify what is the correct protocol / law in France with regards to using keeping left indicator on while in the outside lane in a French autoroute. |
From the French code de la route
"keeping your indicator on while you are in the outside lane marks you out as a gammon faced, MTB hunting, National Front voting Beauf who probably doesn't get behind the wheel of his car without a good glass or two of Genepi".
see also:
"sounding your horn as you come up behind cyclists"
and
"tailgating"
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@reidobi, yeah, you never see snowploughs in Scotland. Or cat’s eyes. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| twoodwar wrote: |
| be nice if in the UK we simply kept to the left except when overtaking. |
Agree. Lets ban pensioners & women off the road 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| GrosPierre wrote: |
| In theory you should leave it on for the whole time you are overtaking and indicate right when you've finished overtaking and are about to switch back to the rightmost lane. |
This is in the code de la route. When i was taking my French driving exam, I signaled every time I twitched. The instructor approved.
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FAQ
Celica probably got me more ski days in Scotland not spent in a ditch though.
do you mean there are people over there that actually use their indicators . . . You're so lucky to live in such an enlightened world 
