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correlejco
United Kingdom
251 Posts |
 Posted - 20/07/2018 : 10:25:07
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Anyone going over the channel this summer should be aware that from July 1st the national speed limit is now reduced from 90 km/h to 80 km/h (except for autoroutes and some dual carriageways).
This is only 50 mph so progress is slow - but probably suits most of us in MMMs! Radar speed traps have already been re-calibrated.
The cynical amongst us might say that the French government want to stimulate use of fee-paying autoroutes but the official line is safety and saving the planet.
John - 1934 NA0492 |
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Malcolm Eades
United Kingdom
379 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2018 : 10:49:09
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I am a regular driver in France and my experience suggests that those who used to ignore the 90kph speed limit now treat the new 80kph limit with equal scorn. There is a certain kind of driver who cannot tolerate being stuck behind slower traffic, especially if that traffic is a "Rosbif", and I have experienced tailgating and overtaking manoevres that, if regularly repeated, will soon enough add that driver to the fatality statistics that the Macron government is trying to improve. Unfortunately he often takes passengers and other innocent road-users with him.
For the record, I am not suggesting that the French are all bad drivers. Au contraire, there are bad drivers everywhere. The point is that a 10kph reduction in a speed limit allows a government to claim it is "taking steps", but does legislation actually tackle the delinquent mentality that is at the root of the problem?
Malcolm
M Type
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colintf
United Kingdom
1481 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2018 : 11:13:52
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I was in France for Classic Le Mans, arriving before the change of limit which was so say brought in for safety reasons in an attempt to reduce the accident rates on normal French roads (so my French friends that I stayed with told me) what actually happened, so they also told me, in the first couple of days is that the accident rates on normal roads increased, and mainly involved HGV's. it seems that the HGV drivers are still under the same time pressures and are / were attempting to push the cars that were abiding to the new 80kmh limits to do at least the speed at which the trucks are limited to (probably 90) to help them get to places in time. I witnessed this myself, they only slow to 80 where they know speed cameras / traps were. luckily in a V8 MG I was able to significantly out accelerate them out of the 50kph built up area limits and maintain 80 even up steep hills so I never actually had one sat on my bumper between LeMans and Caen up the old N138 etc, but it did come quite close to that a couple of times. I believe Denmark tried the same experiment several years ago, the fatalities increased and they reverted back to the old higher speed limit again!!
Colin Murrell
D0285
Photographer for MGCC (LeMans Classic, Oldtimer Grand Prix etc) & MG Motor (BTCC 2012-5)
http://www.triple-mracing.com/ |
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Robin Macmillan
United Kingdom
415 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2018 : 13:34:51
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Whatever else driving in France is a pleasure compared to driving in the South East of England. We recently went on the N117 rallye with a local car club We were the most elderly car but managed well. Equal hours driving and eating.
PB 0527 |
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