Could it be that their cars are able to travel faster than walking pace on less crowded roads? 
Not sure of the thread title’s significance?
1 Like
No idea how the Title got there so maybe the management can change that for me…Just stating the facts about the high death rates on our roads…We do have very quiet roads around here. I can drive a few kilometres to our local Supermarket and see around 3 or 4 cars pass by me. Often like a Bat from Hell around a bend not even keeping on there side of the narrow lanes. When you travel here on by pass roads usually two lanes, then the whole driving experience is very different. People seem very disciplined and overall definitely positive driving, signalling clearly, so yes some go too fast of course and lorries which are the majority of vehicles traveling on those routes, you sometimes wonder how there vehicles are not governed.
rarely do you see any accidents but I know the figures speak for themselves.
my link covers most reasons.
But when you have driven a lot like we have in France, over many years now, … …we use to have a home also in Spain and think in over 20 years we went on a plane twice, you get wise to their attitudes.
Some do act like they have the roads to themselves…particularly on Rural Roads.
Stats do say that it is the quiet Rural Roads that have the highest death rates compared to many other European Countries. The speed limits were lowered for a year or two but that made if anything worse. So that was changed back from 80 kph to 90kph again and sign posts never got installed so was easy to revert again.
…Bypass’s we can do 110 kph and when you hit a commune the speed goes down suddenly to 80 or 90 and and that needs to be really noted as that is the most likely reason of getting the dreaded speeding ticket in the post… 
We learnt that the hard way and missed the warnings and got two 100 euros fines with points taken off also… just for going over the 10% allowance. Within 30 minutes of each offence one time. . 
…Going of all things for our eye tests…
My experience is that there are problems with some French drivers discipline - plenty drive at inappropriate speeds on small country roads; many do not seem to understand how roundabouts work; some want “prioritee a droit” where there is no junction markers; and on autoroutes there are quite a few who sit right on your tail at 130 kph plus.
Ironically there are also quite a few who diligently and rigidly stick to the speed limit - 80 kph is only 50 mph and on wide main roads this is very slow - thus forcing other drivers to overtake when perhaps they should not.
2 Likes
That reminds me of a holiday we took in rural France on an old motorbike and
sidecar.Not realizing until we got there that the sidecar was in the middle of the road in France.We only ever sat in it once.
1 Like
That is a good width Lane with line marking was just going to Lidls in Ruffec about 10 mins driving to get there…but nearer to our home to get to the nearer shops the Lanes are not marked and the sides are part of the farmlands cut back and gravelled mostly or just soil…not great as the Lanes are empty but then a bat out of hell comes around a corner partly on your side so what happens we brake and serve into the gravel area…not good that it is really better to go slow very slow and at least your quite ready as always you get one or two on a 5 minute run into Sauze Vaussais…Super U, DIY, Pharmacist,
Hope a Huge Charity concerned with making money for Animals Welfare. Banks Estate Agents Bars and Cafe’s Florist and several Boulangeries, Coiffure’s around only 3 now…So usual things like Dr’s Dentist and a few more…So we use that village a lot and experience a slight feeling of ‘on the edge awaiting’ for the expected vehicle travelling far too fast and not even exactly their side of the Lane…
1 Like
France like most of Europe drive on the right side of the road with the steering wheel on the left side of the car. Fewer English drive on the wrong side of the road with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car. Right from Wrong. More Drivers are Right so more accidents. … 
1 Like
Are all the French left handed? if not what if they meet another knight? their sword arm would be on the wrong side. That could explain Agincourt.
1 Like
wrong from right maybe…
traditionally they mounted and dismounted their horses from the left side for a few reasons. One reason is that most soldiers historically carried their firearm on their right side, so mounting from the left allowed them to easily access their weapon. Additionally, when herding cattle, as most were Farmers it was often more convenient to mount and dismount from the left side, as it allowed them to use their right hand for roping and handling the reins. This practice has become a tradition and is still commonly followed today.
Wars via Wiki with a list of Massacres in France…
1 Like
Most likely the reason Left-handed are increasing are the parents are not forcing the babies to eat with their right hand now. Lefties are not at the disadvantage that they were even 50 years ago. Lefties
usually are great at fine arts and mental stuff, creating stuff, that sort of stuff. The Right side of the brain seems to have space for dreaming dreams up. Thas sort of my take of that stuff.
Your pic reminded me of when I was last in the UK, I found it very disconcerting that country roads didn’t have any cleared shoulders or run off areas. Sometimes there was a wall or fence right up to the edge of the road. What happens if you want to stop or you breakdown?
You just hope you do not Bruce…
I’m confused about why left hand drive cars suit left handed people. Surely, with the wheel on the left it your right hand that is free to change gears? Thus suiting right handed people better.
Cars tend to steer to the left if you are distracted, thus driving on the wrong side of the road, sitting on the wrong side of a car, makes it safer for other motorists on the highway: it’s all just a no brainer that the British are great at figuring out. Haha !
Change gears? How quaintly olde worlde…
I drove in the UK for about seven years, now I’ve been driving in Italy for thirty years and in my experience there is no difference really. With the steering wheel on the left, it feels “normal” driving on the right side of the road and vice versa in the UK. I have heard from other people’s experiences that it’s difficult to drive a British car here, especially when overtaking as you don’t get a good enough view 
1 Like
I think it could be that they see a snail in the road and brake hard and early to get the snail.
Now we get to create ‘why did the snail cross the road?’ jokes
1 Like
You know something …I have seen this first hand and also seen the trail they leave behind as well…
Roads are not dangerous, they don’t move, it is the drivers.
1 Like
It is the drivers. I’ve noted that there (and too often in the UK) the usual sequence for changing direction is “brake and only then indicate”. I was sure in my lessons and in the test it was the other way round. Might have changed over the 45 years since of course.