DRIVING IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM

Driving on the right is not much of a problem for people from most parts of the world, but for visitors from the UK, this will be something new. If you take your time and allow yourself to get used to this new experience, you should find that it will soon become something that you do without thinking.  But take care not to slip into "UK Autopilot mode" and drive the wrong way out of filling-stations or  supermarkets, or after turning in the road.

UK drivers using their own right-hand-drive cars also need to take care when overtaking. Help from someone sitting in the passenger seat can be useful, but this is no place for a "shoot-em-up" teenager or a myopic aunt.

French and Belgian traffic laws have some requirements which are not compulsory in Britain:

(Traffic laws change all the time - the information given below is a guide only, as I don't claim to be an authority. This information is also only a summary. But details are easily checked by reference to a good general guide-book to the country being visited.)

France

Seat Belts -the wearing of seat-belts is compulsory in France.

Children in cars - children under 10 years are not allowed to sit in the front seat of a car if there is a rear seat available.

Lights - must be headlights. Driving on sidelights isn't permitted in France.
Lights must be switched on in fog, mist or poor visiblity during the day.
Motorcylists riding machines over 125cc must use headlights at all times or risk an on-the-spot fine.

It's an offence to drive with a light not showing because of a faulty bulb. Drivers who can't fit a replacement when asked to do so also risk a fine, so a spare set of bulbs is essential.
Drivers of right-hand drive cars will need to adjust their headlights so that the dipped beam doesn't point to the left. You can buy two types of headlamp converters. One type sticks onto the headlamp and deflects the beam by means of small lenses. The other kind simply masks out the part of the headlamp lens which defelcts the beam.

Warning triangle/Hazard warning lights - the use of a warning triangle or hazard warning lights is compulsory in the event of an accident or breakdown. However, as accident or breakdown may render hazard warning lights inoperative, you really must have a warning triangle, which must be placed in the road 30 metres behind the vehicle and clearly visible from 100 metres.

Roads - France has a very good network and signposting is excellent everywhere.  This is specially valuable in the battlefield areas, many of which are "off the beaten track" so to speak. There is a toll to use the motorways, and when very long distances are being covered, the charges can be very high.  The use of the Motorway from Calais to Arras, Lens, or the Somme is well worth the expense and as the distance is relatively short, the charge is very low - about 45 FF at the time of writing (October, 1997.)

Road surfaces are usually excellent, although most country roads have rather rough edges and no verges.

Speed Limits - Built-up areas                                              50 kph (31 mph)
                       Outside built-up areas on normal roads        90 kph (56 mph)
                       On dual carriageways                                  110 kph (69 mph) 
                       On Motorways                                           130 kph (80 mph)

In wet weather, speed limits outside built-up areas are reduced to 80 kph (49 mph), 100 kph (62 mph) and 110 kph (69 mph.)

Emergency telephone numbers - Police - 17, Fire - 18, Ambulance - dial the number given in the nearest call box or, if no number is given, call the police. 

Belgium   

Seat Belts - the wearing of seat-belts is compulsory in Belgium.           

Children in cars - children under 12 are not allowed to travel in front seats unless there are no rear seats or unless all rear seats are already occupied by children.

Warning Triangle - the use of a warning triangle is compulsory in the event of accident or breakdown.The triangle must be placed 30 metres berhind the vehicle on ordinary roads and 100 metres on motorways to warn following traffic. It must be visible at a distance of 50 metres.

Roads - Belgian roads are very good, although there is always the possibility of some international confusion because there are two official languages in Belgium.  In Flanders, all the roadsigns are in Dutch, while in the southern part, nearer to France, they are all in French. So it's useful to get used to both names for the important places you might want to visit:

Liege = Luik;    Mons = Bergen;   Namur = Namen;    Tournai = Doornik;  
 Lille = Rijsel;    Ypres = Ieper.

Changes have recently been made to ensure that on motorways, at least, place-names are given in both languages.

Speed Limits - Built-up areas                                              60 kph (37 mph)
                       Other roads                                                90 kph (56 mph)
                       On dual carriageways                                  110 kph (69 mph) 
                       On Motorways and 4-lane roads                  120 kph (74 mph)

Emergency telephone mumbers - Police - 101, Fire - 100, Ambulance - 100

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