Priorite a Droite - Give way to the right

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That article is mostly bollocks and if you rely on it you will have an accident.

What bits are bollox?

It seems to predominantly be explaining what the French signs mean, so has he got them the wrong way around, do they mean something entirely different, or is it just that the locals do not pay much attention to them?

My take from this topic is that nobody can agree including those living in France, I suspect the road signs are as documented but locals (especially older ones and farmers) may not always obey them...

...I certainly keep an eye out for the Yellow diamond signs and have believed these inform me I have priority, and after about a dozen trips riding in France have not yet had a car pull out in front of me - something that seems to happen in the UK where I know I have priority. I also notice French drivers on country roads drive at a fair pace and do not slow right down every time they approach a junction t their right, suggesting they either believe they have right of way or are not expecting another vehicle to suddenly pull out.

However as I do not have much faith in drivers at home obeying the priority rules I am used to being very careful at junctions and on roundabouts and ride in the same manner abroad.

It has to be said it is a shite rule and has made no sense since they stopped insisting that you had to have someone walking along in front of your car.
 
...I certainly keep an eye out for the Yellow diamond signs and have believed these inform me I have priority, .

They are ROUTE markers and designate when a route starts and ends, as in the road is not maintained by the region or state but is down to the commune. As such, unless there is a solid or broken white line PaD can apply. In the countryside the white posts that are a meter high signify that there is no PaD.

I live here and have never seen it as a big problem.
Switzerland on the other hand is full of the surly fuckers that apply the PaD whatever, even if THEY might die using it.
 
Just returned from the Combourg area of Brittany and it was noticeable to most of the minor roads had a newly painted stop line where they met with a 'bigger' road which reinforced what I thought was a phasing out of the p-a-d.
 
It's really reasonably easy.

Towns and villages that have retained or reintroduced the 'Priority to the right' discipline will sign it accordingly. These are by no means the majority of roads in France.

If you are in anyway unsure of if the junction is not obvious to work out, simply take care.

Those that worry a lot, use motorways.... but hey, bikermates never ever take motorways; they only take green lined Michelin D roads through all those scenic villages where devils and horrendous road laws live.
 
Only those who use motorways/tolls to avoid the fact there are no good roads in the north of france, so always use the peage down to say, Reims. :green gri:green gri
 
The signs entering a town should indicate a P.a.D, however, always treat the road from the right as a potential risk.

Wapping has written a good piece on the road signs in France and the classification of roads. I can't find it after a quick look around.
 
Just returned from France, did 1800 miles down to the Route de Napoleon, Verdun Gorge etc

My, experience - ride as if you are in the UK (right side of road of course) If you are on the major road, you'll generally have right of way, there is often a yellow diamond sign to confirm. If no yellow diamond, or diamond with bar through it, you don't have right of way


As in UK, watch out for traffic emerging from minor road, which could be because they think they have P A D, or just haven't seen you

Once, in 1800 miles did a driver pull out from a minor road, was this because he thought he had PaD, (he did not), or he hadn't seen me? Who knows & it matters not, I had anticipated (as any experience biker would in UK, or elsewhere)

Best
Andrew
 
I've ridden through France to our place in the Correze many, many times, taking many different routes - not once have I come across anyone making use of PaD.

Pete
 

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I've had a couple of near misses over many years, possibly due to use or abuse of PaD. In both cases the road entering from the right joins the main road at an oblique angle and it has not been clear which is the 'main' road. One of these junctions has now been changed to a give way or stop which is marginally safer.
 
What bits are bollox?
Before you get too worried it is important to note that we could find no example on any major road where this law is applied.
Bad and dangerous advice. I ould show you hundreds. i drive past them almost every day.
Even where they haven't you will find that everyone has come to except that pulling out in front of fast moving traffic is not the thing to do, even if it is your right of way.
Again, dangerous and stupid advice. Simply wrong.
The Yellow diamond with a white border indicates that the prioite a droite does not apply to the road ahead.
When this exemption ceases then another sign with the yellow diamond with a diagonal black line through it will be displayed.
In rural villages, these signs simply do not exist.
There is however one sign that does indicate that the side road does have the priority as in the photo below.
By and large these are not common and are being replaced with a give way sign and dotted line to indicate to you more visually that you do not have the priority on the road ahead
priority%20a%20droite.gif

Wrong, that sign means there is a junction ahead at which the priority is not defined. You may or may not have priority.
 
Good to see this bring discussed it may save someone getting hurt,
The advice ref priority is use caution , no paint or sign no priority to you,
motorists in the uk often ignore the rules, europe is no different,
painted lines at junctions and bollards,
and the yellow diamond signs are a guide to priority,
as roundabouts have priority on the outside its best treat as a straight road,straigtlining to make progress is risky,
you shouldnt be in the left lane of 2 expecting priority to exit, as we do in the uk,

roamer
 
Some perspective perhaps - I've lived here for 25 years and driven/ridden around 500,000 kms and apart from the two incidents I mention in my previous post and a couple of stray old codgers not understanding the priciple of giving way in a nearby village, PaD really has not been an issue.

Differences in the driving 'culture' in France are far more difficult to get to grips with rather than some almost obsolete traffic rule. Naturally, when your riding in a foreign country you will be riding more carefully so you won't have a problem anyway :)
 
While on the subject of roundabouts, a couple of other little foibles of the French:

Most drivers will never use the inside lane of a roundabout for any purpose whatsoever. Most will stay in the outside lane, even if turning left.

Its now usual to indicate left when entering a standard 4-exit roundabout and going straight on.
 
Does seem like luck has played a fair part in some riders sorties into France where the PaD rule is concerned!

When we first moved out here we kept having cars pull out from our right in a local town, I was getting pretty hacked off then found out about PaD!! :blast

Around us the PaD is everywhere when entering towns, villages.

You see the yellow diamond with the black line through it showing you that you NO LONGER have priority over the right (unless the road on your right has a Stop or Give way sign on it!!). The roads that have priority over you will not have any road markings on them.

As you leave the town, village you get the yellow diamond (no line through it) showing you now have priority over the right!

When you see that triangle with the black X in it it means that IF there is a road on your right (the junction may actually be on your left and not like we would assume here where it would normally be a cross roads) you have to give way to cars coming on to the road, unless that road has a stop or give way sign.

It is way too antiquated a rule but be sure it is still widely used and the older the driver the more likely they will just drive straight out without even looking!!!

You will sometimes see the black X when approaching a village, where you are on the minor road approaching the main road. The cars from your left should, generally, give way to you as they will have seen the yellow diamond with the black line through it as they enter the town, village! Keep your eyes open when pulling out if someone does stop as the cars from your right DO not have to give way as you will be on their left...!

The more I think about it it all sounds like those old rules to explain the game of cricket :D

Remember it is not all that long ago that you had priority when entering a roundabout and the cars on the roundabout had to give way to you!!!!!

Rule of thumb is take care in towns, villages and if in doubt let them out and on country lanes pay particular attention to that black X. You will normally be riding much faster and will not have time to look at the road markings on the side road!!

It is *ucking madness and don't even get me started on the bloody 'Sans Permis' cars that you can drive without a licence or pretty much any frigging road sense from the driver, unbelievable!!!

Safe riding and keep your eyes peeled! :thumb2
 
Stolzy, yes that indicate left when entering a roundabout to go straight on does my head in too as you approach the roundabout, see the vehicle indicating so you slow down thinking it is coming round then the twat indicates right to leave on the exit you are on, hinders progress no end, bless um :D
 
I think one thing that helps many tourists such as myself is we spend little (none if I can help it) in large towns and cities so are less exposed to the dangers apart from in villages - which tend to appear deserted, I am always amazed how I can ride through a long French village and never see another car.

I also blast past that rubbish bit up until Reims :D Generally not getting off the Motorway until I see Mountains, which also have little traffic and not so many junctions.

Some helpful stuff here, my takeaway is:

* The Yellow Diamond means you should have priority until told otherwise.

You still need to be careful especially if a junction on your right does not have a white line across it - even if the driver at the junction does not have priority he might not see it that way.


* Keep an eye out for the two signs telling you do not / may not have priority (Yellow Diamond with black line / X Symbol)

I understand the Yellow one with Black Line is cancelling your assumed priority until you see another Yellow Diamond.

I always believed the red sign with Black Cross was an indication all junctions in the Village had priority, but now think it may actually just be indicating the next junction "may or may not" have priority and you have to look for other clues such as does the junction have a white line indicating you do have priority.


* White lines (broken or solid) across a Junction indicate it does not have priority - if you are on the "main road" the car should stop at the white line and not pull out.


* Once on a roundabout you do have priority (as per UK) but the lane "discipline" is not the same (basically they can sit anywhere on the roundabout regardless of where they plan to exit so do not read anything in based on vehicle position.


* Regardless of the rules still be careful

Just like the UK not all drivers are good at following the rules of the road, especially doddery old ones, and if they are in some shitty looking noddy car they may not even have a licence or of ever passed a test.

Tractors may not follow any of the rules at any time and may be driven by the farmers 3 year old son.
 
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