OT - Driving In France, new law!

In case you haven't heard (and I didn't know), just picked this up from the Rover 75 and MG ZT Owners Club forum. A later post suggest that it applies in most other European countries as well (except UK - yet):

"A new law (applicable now) means any person planning to drive in France must carry a reflective jacket from now on. In an emergency, the jacket must be easily accessible by the driver and must be put on before leaving the car, day or night, regardless of visibility. As of

1 October 2008, any person found not complying will face a 135 euro fine (90 euro if paid early).

I've not seen any reference requiring passengers to have a jacket, so it looks like the driver only (at this stage). For me, the new news was that the jacket has to be accessible from inside the car. I was relying on mine being inside the tailgate along with the warning triangle. That's not good enough! From October 2008, cyclists will need high viz jackets outside built-up areas too - and we think the UK is bad for Health and Safety!

I've found a company that sells suitable jackets for £1.69 each (plus a few pence for P&P).

formatting link
I've no connection with the company, but plenty of connection with trying to make my money go as far as it can!"

PLUS

"Yep,confirmed 135 euros,i work over here in France and we were told to get one in our cars ASAP,so we put it in the boot as is the norm we thought,wrong,easily accesible is the wording and as such in the car it is,most of le frogs seem to be sticking it over the passenger seat at the moment and the Gendarmes are having a field day with Brit tourists down here (Toulouse area),so invest in the kit and stick it in the car not in the boot. Oh,and it's from July 1st according to our bosses!!!"

Reply to
DavidM
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I remember reading about this last year and bought one anyway. I didn't pick up on the must be in car angle, but it's fairly obvious

Reply to
Andy Hall

Imagine the howls of outrage if that idea was implemented in the UK!

It seems quite sensible to me. ;-)

Reply to
Bruce

I used to keep one visible in the car, but found the sun bleached it, rather defeating the object.

Chris

Reply to
Chris J Dixon

One wonders whether it would be acceptable to have it in the boot - if the boot can be accessed from inside the car by putting down the rear seats.

Andrew

Reply to
Andrew

Andrew gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

AIUI, the test for accessibility is "Can the driver get to it in order to be wearing it BEFORE getting out of the vehicle?"

Of course, whether you _can_ actually don it whilst still sat behind the wheel is another question...

Reply to
Adrian

In message , DavidM writes

I've been carrying a couple for two years now - better move them out of the boot

Reply to
geoff

geoff coughed up some electrons that declared:

Odd, because when I went to Belgium in Nov 2006, I was reading up on the continental rules on some website. As I result I've got a jacket under the driver's seat.

Now, I can't remember if the website said mandatory in Belgium, or France or whether I misread it or whether the site was talking nonsense, but I formulated the opinion back then that I had to have one or I might get busted.

So this thread took me by surprise :=0

Cheers

Tim

Reply to
Tim S

Not really, the yellow might bleach out, but the important part, the reflective strip, will be OK. BTDTWTTS

Dave

Reply to
Dave

Does this new law define what the jacket must consist of. Most small van drivers are issued with a reflective vest, does this cover that law?

Just done a test on mine and it can be rolled up to 6 inches long and less than 3 inches in diam. I might just put it in the rear of my drivers door pocket, since it takes up next to no room stood up tall.

Like others, I carry a full suit in the boot, in case I break down and have to walk for a phone. I don't mind wet feet, I can get over that providing my body is dry and out of the wind.

Dave

Reply to
Dave

This has been in force in Spain for some time. When I went over in 2006, I just bought a cheapo one from Lidl (about £2). A lot of drivers there keep it slung over the back of the driver's seat. (In spain you also have to carry a "danger" triangle, by law, too)

Reply to
Peter Lynch

In message , Tim S writes

I'm sure that they said it was mandatory in France at the port

in other words - lets see how many of these jackets we can scare people into buying at our highly inflated prices

Reply to
geoff

I bought one before the last time I went over. But I'll move it to where I can reach it!

Andy

Reply to
Andy Champ

Also as I recall in Spain if you wear glasses you have to carry a spare pair in the car. These rules seem bloody crazy to me. How likely is it that your glasses will break during a single car journey? Maybe it makes more sense if you're going over there on holiday for two weeks but every Spanish motorist having to take two pairs of specs every time they go shopping is just lunacy. It's no doubt been very good for the Spanish optician's industry though.

Reply to
Dave Baker

In message , Dave Baker writes

It's the law in Germany

I just keep a spare pair as it seems a good idea

... along with the first aid kit, spare set of bulbs triangle and hi-viz vest

Reply to
geoff

Washing them also bleaches them. Most of my hi-viz stuff had a "maximum number of washes allowed" sticker attached to them.

Adam

Reply to
ARWadworth

It isn't crazy at all. I recall a weekend trip away with my son when I broke my glasses ... my wife had to drive a 270 mile round trip to bring me a spare pair. Now she makes sure I always take a spare pair with me. I keep it in the car.

Reply to
Bruce

...

Mine is a Class 1 lightweight sleeved vest that simply tucks into the map pocket behind the passenger's seat.

My pilot's licence requires me to carry a spare pair when flying too. I routinely have a spare pair in the car and carry a pair (sometimes two) in my coat, but, with my eyesight, I would need one of the spare pairs to find the main pair if I dropped them.

Colin Bignell

Reply to
nightjar

Being very short sighted and at the age reading glasses need to be strong, I often take off my glasses in order to work on close objects. I usually put them down in an obvious place, but occasionally I have to find the spare pair in order to find the main ones.

Reply to
<me9

In message , Dave Baker writes

Not that common, but when it does, it can be a right PITA - BTDTGTTS. Ok if you are just a few miles away from home in town. Getting me and the two kids the 20+ miles we are regularly away from home, with a poor bus service less OK.

Not really, you just stick a spare pare in the car and leave them there.

surely most people just keep an old pair in the car, that's what I've done for years. The prescription might be slightly 'off' but they are fine.

Reply to
chris French

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