
The phrase ‘allumez vos feux’ instructs you to turn on your lights because you are entering an area where driving lights are mandatory at all times of the day.

#Kilometre sign how to
The Crit’Air stickers classify your car according to its euro emissions standard on a scale of one to six, depending on how polluting it is.ĭepending on the number of your sticker you may not be able to drive in certain areas or at certain times of day.įind out more about Crit’air stickers and how to get one for your car. To drive in these areas you need to display a ‘Crit’Air’ vignette – or clean air sticker – on your windscreen, or risk a fine. The entire central of Paris is a ZCR and you’ll also find permanent and temporary ZCRs in other cities like Lyon, Strasbourg, Lille, Toulouse and Marseille, with more mooted for the near future. In French they’re called ‘Zone à Circulation Restreinte’ (ZCR), and these signs indicate where they start and end (‘fin de zone’). To try and limit air pollution in its major cities, France has introduced several restricted driving areas.
#Kilometre sign drivers
Pay close attention as they normally indicate intersections where the traffic going straight ahead doesn’t have right of way – such as in the example here, where any drivers turning right take priority. You’ll find different variants of this sign placed before junctions, to indicate who has priority when making a turn. The same sign with a black stripe across signals the end of the priority road and a return to the ‘priorité à droite’ system. If you see this diamond sign with a white edge and yellow background you’re entering a ‘priority road’ which means you have the right of the way instead, and vehicles coming in from the right must give way. Priority roadĬonfusingly, the ‘priorité à droite’ system doesn't apply at all times. You might see this phrase underneath the sign, or a number that indicates the distance remaining to the junction. If you see this upside-down red triangle with a white background, it means you’re coming up to a junction and need to give way – or as the French say ‘Cédez le passage’. Junction ahead: your right of wayĪlthough very different in appearance, this warning sign also indicates that there’s a junction ahead but, in this case, you’ve got priority, so drivers turning into or crossing your road will have to give way. This even applies to some of the older roundabouts – so even if you’re currently on the roundabout, heading counter-clockwise, you’d have to give way to those joining the roundabout on your right.Īlways look out for signs on your approach to any junction or roundabout and go slowly if you're unsure. In France they generally follow a system called ‘priorité à droite’ which gives the right of way to cars entering the road from the right. This slightly foreboding warning sign indicates that there is a junction coming up ahead and that you don’t have priority, so you should slow down and give way to the right.

Important French road signs to learn Junction ahead: give way We’ve had a look at some of the more confusing French road signs for UK drivers.

