Living in the Languedoc:   Driving:   Rules of the Road

If you're from the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or the Indian subcontinent, it's easy to forget to drive on the right, particularly when turning onto an unmarked road. Be especially careful when setting off and when leaving one-way streets.

Apart from that, your biggest problem is likely to be the rule about priority for traffic on your right (priorité à droite). As a general rule you must always give way to any traffic coming from your right hand side. This general rule (which was once universally applied) is now usually overridden by specific roadmarkings or signs (watch out for cédez le passage (give way), or at roundabouts vous n'avez pas la priorité "you do not have priority".

Most difficult for you, the general rule is also suspended wherever you see a sign with a yellow lozenge on a white background (This is often found on fast country roads where otherwise any old tractor lumbering onto the road from a track on your side of the road would have priority). It remains in force until you see a similar sign with a bar through it.