Off for a last minute sneaky hols tomorrow and trying to get kit sorted now. I can pinch some hi vis vests from work but they're orange. Safety guy at work is not sure whether the French will accept orange or if I should try and source some yellow ones.
Seems a bit daft to me, I mean orange is ok for our guys in the thick of it so why shouldn't it be ok for French roads. I've been searching on-line and can't find any reference to colour...only that they have to be hi-vis.
Any useful comments?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
You can get them in Halfords for about £5
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?
If you are in a UK car then I am sure you can blag it with orange. It's the regulation colour in the UK innit
Isn't it just one per car not one per person required?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Got mine for 50p (or was it £1 ?). If it's got retro-reflective stripes and has CE mark on the label, then I'm sure it'd be fine.
edit: semi-certain that the ones in italian rental car were orange.
Don't buy them from Halfords, drive to your nearest industrial estate, they'll have them for dirt cheap - most warehouses require them for all staff, and most staff working in warehouses won't spend a fiver on something that will be trashed in a few weeks.
Other option is Screwfix and places like that, should have them cheap.
There seems to be all kinds of different statements about what is required, one per car, one per person, best to be on the safe side and have one for everybody travelling, should cost you about £1.50 each so not exactly a major investment.
Don't forget your warning triangle, headlamp adjusters and GB sticker.
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snowlamb, where are you off to?
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snowlamb,
Quote:
Don't forget your warning triangle, headlamp adjusters and GB sticker.
Also put your GB sticker on the correct side of the car! Left rear end
Plus I always carry a first aid kit, spare bulb set, fire extinguisher car type and one hi vis per person
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I think a spare bulb set is compulsory - not that we have any hope of reaching any of our bulbs without a workshop and a huge range of spanners!!
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.
Have vest for all passengers including dog. Have never been stopped, so haven't discovered if French cops have sense of humour.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
pam w wrote:
snowlamb, where are you off to?
Val Cenis...got an irresistable deal with Snowtrex..really it would have been churlish to refuse....almost cheaper than staying at home and sending the kids to day care whilst I work.
Thanks to all others, we have one yellow vest and will stick with orange for the crew.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Colin B, AA vs the French Police. Do you feel lucky ?
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
snowlamb, have a good trip.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
pam w wrote:
I think a spare bulb set is compulsory - not that we have any hope of reaching any of our bulbs without a workshop and a huge range of spanners!!
It is not a spare bulb set that is compulsory, but rather the ability to replace a blown bulb. I don't think that i can fulfill that.
I picked a full set of 4 up over a couple of weeks by keeping an eye out on grass verges.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
snowlamb wrote:
Val Cenis...got an irresistable deal with Snowtrex.....
I'd recommend chains too. Even with winter tyres, we needed them to get up to Valloire and very nearly needed them to get back from Bonneval. Oh, and a red marker pen too. The kids will be amused for hours adulterating as many 'Val Cenis' logos as they can find
IMHO, if the vest has a CE mark then there should be no probs. Be careful - some old vests don't.
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?
It only mentions the driver having to wear the vest when stepping out of the vehicle. Passengers are only mentionned when it comes to bikes.
None of my French relatives and friends have more than one vest in their cars..otherwise everybody would have to 4 or 5 vest in each vehicles...
I only ever take one vest myself..
That article mentions that said vest must conform to european regulations for this type of reflective vests . As long as it has the CE mark, it is OK irrespective of the color..what matters are the reflective bands (2 or 3) on the vest....
EDIT:
PS: ref spare bulbs. It is compulsory to have a set... in practice I don't bother. The poimt of this is so that you could change a bulb quickly should one blow when needing your headlamps. These days, on modern cars it is getting increasingly difficult to change a bulb. You often have to remove the light assembly entirely, or e.g. my own car access the assembly via the inside of the wheel arch which is a real pain of a messy job! If you got xenon headlights, I beblive it is even more complicated. So I doubt this rule is ever enforced anymore..
Kruisler, I think in ITaly you may need one vest each, which is why we have one each in the car, as we sometimes have to go via Frejus tunnel, or go to Italy for the day.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Well we have two in our car. They are cheap as chips, they sit on the back of the seats and if you're stuck in the dark and need to get out of the car (and when we have to put chains on we generally start doing one each, then I go and help the OH with his ) I'd prefer it if we could both be seen. I've passed plenty of people at the side of a dark road, struggling with chains with practically no visibility.
On the bulbs, a set will cost around £10 - they may not even fit the car, but it gets rid of a French policeman who might just decide to have a "pick on the English" day and gets frustrated when he can't get you for the high viz, warning triangle, snow chains, and finds something to pick on. If it requires multiple tools and a couple of hours labour to change a bulb the police aren't going to question whether the set of bulbs you have really fit the car you've got.
For us changing a bulb on our 14 year old car is very easy, and carrying a spare set is a very sensible thing to do when potentially driving on mountain roads in another country.
At £1.50 a throw, I'd rather have a vest for everybody in the car. It's not like they take up much space chucked in the map pocket behind the front seats.
If you are on the hard shoulder, you want everybody out of the car and up the bank away from the road. At that point high viz is helpful and sensible, and you could well get a visit from the plod, so one less thing to have to apologise for as well as breaking down on "their" motorway...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
May have been mentioned already but you have to have the vests accessible without getting out of the car - in our current car there is a rack thing on the roof above the front seats so they sit there.
And beware the speed cops - a friend of ours was driving down here a couple of weeks ago and was stopped - somewhere near Dijon - had been spotted by the helicopter above apparently, and then stopped by the police car, she had to leave the motorway and pay the peage and then settle with the police. Didn't have enough euros - 90 I think - and they won't take CC but did take a cheque as she has a French bank account. She thinks that it was as it was not a French car that she was stopped as she was overtaken by two French cars going along the same stretch - and they even seemed a bit sheepish when they realised she had a French account, address and speaks fluent French.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Pamski wrote:
She thinks that it was as it was not a French car that she was stopped as she was overtaken by two French cars going along the same stretch - and they even seemed a bit sheepish when they realised she had a French account, address and speaks fluent French.
Not saying that this isn't what happened (there are idiots everywhere unfortunately) but I can't really see why the cops would be doing something like this.
I mean if both cars offend they can either stop the french car, easily get a word and fine in and be on their way,
.... or stop the foreign registered vehicle, potentially have a nightmare communicating with the occupants, issue a fine, explain why then explain they want money straight away, drive people to nearest cash machine etc...
Why on earth would they want the hassle? They don't get more points for catching naughty foreigners.
Brits often comment cops are out to get them near Calais: they aren't out to get them, they just know where people tend to speed/where it is dangerous and plonk themselves there when they need to do "numbers". It just happens that a lot of speedsters there are brits racing to catch the ferry/train back home..
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Most of the locals in the South of France tend to just stick one over each of the back of the front seats and forget about it, regardless of number of passengers.
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Next time I drive down Ill make sure my screenwash fluid is the gen stuff, second week in Jan meant cold air plus autoroute speed = frozen washer bottle.
Kept having to chuck snow and tapwater across the screen and slipstream the vehicle in front to cadge their spray!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I know we love to discuss French driving regs on here but it strikes me as a reasonable idea to have hi-vis jackets for all the occupants.
T-Dub, first time we bought winter screen wash in Carrefour (in a hurry I might add) we ended up with anti-freeze
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.
Has no one realised that as a nation, they don't like us, their coppers more than anyone. French individuals are mostly lovely people and will say the same about us, that they have met. As a nation, the French love us like we love the Frogs or the Sweaties.
My headlight bulbs are dealer change only. I carry loads of hi viz vests and the cheapest bulb kit I can buy.
Last year, I got pulled on the A26 near Calais for doing 135kmh in my Porsche. They just wanted to nick the UK Porsche and there was no arguing. I knew they would be at the bottom of the hill just before the tolls and had been nailed at 125kmh.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
make sure the hi viz and the triangle is in the car and not the boot.You must have both ready in case of an problem.Having both in the boot is no good and against French Law. Idea being that you can been seen as soon as you exit the car and can place the triangle straight away. Found out when i hired a car in France and noticed the Hi viz and triangle was inside next to the drivers seat, went to place the items in the boot and it was then that the hire company car man exsplained that you must keep both in the car and if you place them in the boot you are breaking the law.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
yes yes yes, it makes sense to have it all, but in all the times I've driven back and forth to the Alps in the last 8 years, I've never been asked for any of it, even when I was stopped for speeding through a deserted village with no speed limits signs shown (my ignorance... no excuse) at 40 mph. It makes sense to have 90 euros in the car - saves time heading back to the nearest cash point, which in a rural area can be miles away.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
pam w, there was some anecdote on here about the gendarmes at Calais péage stopping and fining UK drivers 20€ for everything that didn't comply-beam convertors, GB badge, bulbs etc. Not sure how true it was though
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Helen Beaumont, it probably happens from time to time - and I do try to have what's needed. I guess I've just been fortunate; but then I don't generally speed - in fact my family thought it was hilarious that I'd been fined for speeding, as I am a famously boring driver who sticks to speed limits.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Helen Beaumont, It was €10 per item plus the speeding fine my BIL is still smarting after 5 years, I told him to carry beam deflectors bulb kit triangle and GB sticker, he took no notice, he carrys the lot now plus the vests
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?
I carry bulbs for rear only, they need a toolkit to dismantle the rear panel to change (I know because I've done it) Front ones are Bi-Xenon auto height adjusting, no chance at all of changing them, plus you can't fit beam deflectors because of the flat beam pattern ( I checked with Renault France), First Aid kit, Hi-Vis (not stolen from London Underground), Chains, Winter Tyres, Spare Spectacles, Insurance Docs, V5, GB licence plate, Warning triangle, Cuddly Toy, Radar Jammer, everything you need really.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
unfortunately I can confirm from first hand experience that the gendames have no sense of humour. We've been done twice (you'd think we 'd learn). Once for speeding, the other for a lesser heared offence of crossing the solid white line in the middle of the road or 'double'. On neither occasion did we have the euros required and had 2 go to go to not so local cash machines. Oops.
Hopefully today trans french trip won't b so expensive, but looking at the shopping lists above, I'm not so sure.
unfortunately I can confirm from first hand experience that the gendames have no sense of humour. We've been done twice (you'd think we 'd learn). Once for speeding, the other for a lesser heared offence of crossing the solid white line in the middle of the road or 'double'.
If it's a sense of humour failure to require drivers not to cross solid white lines then I suffer from it too. It's especially unfunny if you're going the other way at the time. A motorcyclist did that to me one day, in mid Wales and only lived to tell the tale because two doctors were on the scene within 5 minutes, entirely coincidentally.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
As far as Hi Viz Jackets go...
The law in France changed last summer. Up until then only the driver needed to have a hi viz.
Now ALL passengers also need to have them.
Stored inside passenger compartment for everyone.. the driver cannot go to the boot to get everyone elses.
They must conform with relevant euro regs, (quoted elsewhere..reflective stripes etc.)
The AA are wrong. That is old information they are giving.
My in laws are french residents and last year it was a nightmare looking for these jackets in France, cos EVERYONE was buying them up.
Don't risk it. If the french cops want to be awkward they will. Don't get arsey with them,and don't start with, "but I'm English don't you know?"
They don't like it!
You MUST also carry spare bulbs, triangle, snow chains in mountain areas.
And remember if you come across an accident, you MUST stop and offer assistance. If you drive past without stopping, you WILL be reported and done for it.
Assitance could be as simple as handing a french man your phone so he can call for help. But you MUST help.
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Ravensskiclub, Welcome to Snowheads. Sounds as if it's still confused though. Kruisler, (who is French) has linked to the French Law stating driver only
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
