The French do it Better

[sjmoore]

Just back from a week in the UK. Drove there (from Switzerland). Struck me that the lane-discipline in France is better than the UK. When driving quickly on dual-carriageways and motorways I noticed that the French not only try to get back into the inside lane as soon as possible but on many occasions, people that had moved out to overtake saw that I was coming up on them quickly and they then moved back in to let me past first, before completing their own overtake. In the UK my experience was generally not so good. In particular on motorways, where everyone appears to drive in the outside lane. Having more lanes doesn't seem to help (in fact it appeared to be worse) and even in lightish traffic most people appear to drive in the outside lane. Of course, when everyone else is driving "badly" you end up doing that yourself because there is nothing to gain by moving over into the correct lane because you get stuck behind slow moving traffic and the person in the queue behind you takes your space.

Made me wonder, how such different behaviours have developed and whether anything can be done to change driving behaviour in the UK. Anyone have an idea?

[Baryonyx]

The driving standard is this country is at an all time low and there is no impetus to change.

[Bill]

sjmoore said:

on many occasions, people that had moved out to overtake saw that I was coming up on them quickly and they then moved back in to let me past first, before completing their own overtake.

That sounds like poor observation in the first place to me

IME of France lane discipline is great until it gets as busy as a UK road and then it all goes to st.

[mxspyder]

The main routes are much quieter in France, tolls on the Autoroute take car of that. Only two lanes seem to help things too.

If you want to see polite driving, avoid Paris at all costs!

[Gizmo!]

Bill said:

That sounds like poor observation in the first place to me

IME of France lane discipline is great until it gets as busy as a UK road and then it all goes to st.

I agree.

In general people watch their mirrors better, but I think that's because when you've had a Pug 607 appear at a closing speed of >40 mph you don't want to get in the way. But there's a lot more space on French roads in general...

[StottyZr]

I agree. I've never experianced a busy French motorway so I cannot compare.

But in light traffic the French lane discipline is in a different league. They always keep to the left and the roads seem to flow much better.

[Rawwr]

I thought this was going to be a thread about burning livestock.

/casualracism

[The Black Flash]

Bill said:

That sounds like poor observation in the first place to me

IME of France lane discipline is great until it gets as busy as a UK road and then it all goes to st.

This. Absolutely.
Drive on a busy autoroute OP, and you'll see barging, cutting in and tailgating the likes of which you never see in the UK.

[V8A*ndy]

StottyZr said:

I agree. I've never experianced a busy French motorway so I cannot compare. They always keep to the left and the roads seem to flow much better.

I'm confused now

[Gizmo!]

StottyZr said:

But in light traffic the French lane discipline is in a different league. They always keep to the right and the roads seem to flow much better.

EFA

[croyde]

I've always thought that the 800 mile trek from the Cote d'Azur has been faster and more relaxing than the 70 miles from Dover to London.

[bozmandb9]

I think everybody is right to an extent, and it's not just the French. Continental driving is pretty different to UK driving. There is much less awareness of braking distances, hence the perception of tailgating or cutting in, so far as they are concerned they're are doing nothing unusual or wrong.

I think theres a more relaxed approach as well, possibly not so much ego, or repressed road rage. In France as OP said, people may pull out to overtake, realise they are going to be overtaking slower than you, and pull back in, they may or may not be down to poor observation, remember autoroutes can be narrower, hillier and windier than motorways. But the key difference is the other driver will probably let you pass, before completing their manoeuvre, whereas in the UK there's likely to be a belligerent 'I was here first, and I have every right to drive in the overtaking lane at the speed limit attitude'.

[gherkins]

bozmandb9 said:

I think everybody is right to an extent, and it's not just the French. Continental driving is pretty different to UK driving...

I wouldn't include all continental driving. I drive lots in Germany and Spain, but they're totally different. I admit I'm an aggressive driver, but 90% of Germans (at least around Munich) beat me in aggression - they just MUST get in front of you and if you overtake, they speed up. Getting let in from a sideroad is impossible. Even as a pedestrian, it's the same - tailgating, carving up and no giving way at obstacles! I find driving in Spain (Madrid) far more relaxing - sure, they don't get roundabouts, but any aggro is soon forgotten - the horn sounds, the hand gets waved, "gillipollas" shouted and then it's forgotten.

BTW, I work in a european organisation and the majority of the people (from many european countries) say that driving in the UK is the nicest experience they've had! Go figure!

[lescombes]

OP is generally right in what he says, again comparing French motorways with ours is not a like for like....GB is smaller country with poor road infrastructure....In France the country is bigger and quite rural in the main...I must say from my EU driving experience, the French in general are well behaved, the Belgians just drive fast..everywhere.. the Dutch.....how slow can you go...in Luxembourg well it's like being in Suffolk.

On a personal note I tend to avoid Motorways in the UK these days, too many ejits and poor driving plus since the Satnags....there are many on the same roads....I use A roads mainly, sometimes it takes longer sometimes not...but I drive that way these days for my sanity....
I went to Nottingham 3 weeks ago and a pal left the same time as me...he went A14/M1.in his car..I went A1/A52 in my campervan and I get there 15 mins before him....the planner said I would be 3 mins longer but 15 miles shorter....

[Balmoral Green]

Driving in France and the UK is exactly the same. They stick to a cruise in the right hand lane(s), and I pass in the empty left hand lane(s). And it's the same here. Our motorways and dual carrigeways are just like driving on the continent.