Road edge markings in France?
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Road edge markings in France?
Hi!
Can anyone tell me the standards for white edge–of–carriageway markings used in France?
On our holiday to St. Tropez a few years ago we noticed the main one appears to a fairly wide line of short dash markings, both on roads with and without centre line markings.
Are there any other styles of edge marking in use?
What criteria does France use for edge–marking all–purpose roads? I did notice that markings are far less common on upland or mountain type roads, you'll notice this on the French Cycling Event Programmes –any particular reason why?
One for our French Members me thinks!
Chris Williams
Can anyone tell me the standards for white edge–of–carriageway markings used in France?
On our holiday to St. Tropez a few years ago we noticed the main one appears to a fairly wide line of short dash markings, both on roads with and without centre line markings.
Are there any other styles of edge marking in use?
What criteria does France use for edge–marking all–purpose roads? I did notice that markings are far less common on upland or mountain type roads, you'll notice this on the French Cycling Event Programmes –any particular reason why?
One for our French Members me thinks!
Chris Williams
Re: Road edge markings in France?
The standard edge marking in France is the dashed one, very similar to Ireland's yellow dashed edge line (but white).
The longer solid line with short dash is used on the approach to major junctions - the gaps represent a second in travel time so you are meant to use these to develop and maintain a two second gap. This marking is used for hard shoulders on expressways and autoroutes.
The longer solid line with short dash is used on the approach to major junctions - the gaps represent a second in travel time so you are meant to use these to develop and maintain a two second gap. This marking is used for hard shoulders on expressways and autoroutes.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
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Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
- Vierwielen
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Re: Road edge markings in France?
A number of years ago I noticed that the French had billboards to advise the meaning of these lines. Bryn666 is quite right - you are expected to have two dashes between you and the vehicle in front of you typical sign here- a bit easier to visualise than the 24 car-lengths that you should have, beloved of the editors of the Highway Code.Chris56000 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 12, 2021 19:18 Hi!
Can anyone tell me the standards for white edge–of–carriageway markings used in France?
On our holiday to St. Tropez a few years ago we noticed the main one appears to a fairly wide line of short dash markings, both on roads with and without centre line markings.
Are there any other styles of edge marking in use?
What criteria does France use for edge–marking all–purpose roads? I did notice that markings are far less common on upland or mountain type roads, you'll notice this on the French Cycling Event Programmes –any particular reason why?
One for our French Members me thinks!
Chris Williams
Re: Road edge markings in France?
I may be wrong, but are hard shoulder markers also dashed on *some autopistas/vias in Spain as well?
Re: Road edge markings in France?
They are. Although it's not universal!
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Re: Road edge markings in France?
Older photographs indicate that a solid line may have been used on the earlier autoroutes, but also the various autoroute companies and the government changed how the hard shoulders were designed after a horrific coach crash in the early 1980s, so the dashing may have dated from them.
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Re: Road edge markings in France?
The solid hard shoulder lines do seem to have been phased out with the overall signage reform of 1982 - which was not in itself related to the Beaune disaster but coincidentally was around the same time.exiled wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 13:15 Older photographs indicate that a solid line may have been used on the earlier autoroutes, but also the various autoroute companies and the government changed how the hard shoulders were designed after a horrific coach crash in the early 1980s, so the dashing may have dated from them.
Remember lane lines in France were once yellow as well, this seems to have gone out the window in the late 1970s.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Road edge markings in France?
Now of course the yellow markings are used for temporary layouts. It does appear there were some changes due to Beaune, but France does appear to have gone to the hard shoulder plus refuge model. Personally I feel autoroute hard shoulders in France feel narrower to UK or Belgian ones, but on D2 expressways slightly wider.Bryn666 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 20:02The solid hard shoulder lines do seem to have been phased out with the overall signage reform of 1982 - which was not in itself related to the Beaune disaster but coincidentally was around the same time.exiled wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 13:15 Older photographs indicate that a solid line may have been used on the earlier autoroutes, but also the various autoroute companies and the government changed how the hard shoulders were designed after a horrific coach crash in the early 1980s, so the dashing may have dated from them.
Remember lane lines in France were once yellow as well, this seems to have gone out the window in the late 1970s.
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Re: Road edge markings in France?
French hard shoulders are 2.5m on quieter roads, and 3.0m where HGVs are above a threshold.exiled wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 20:16Now of course the yellow markings are used for temporary layouts. It does appear there were some changes due to Beaune, but France does appear to have gone to the hard shoulder plus refuge model. Personally I feel autoroute hard shoulders in France feel narrower to UK or Belgian ones, but on D2 expressways slightly wider.Bryn666 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 20:02The solid hard shoulder lines do seem to have been phased out with the overall signage reform of 1982 - which was not in itself related to the Beaune disaster but coincidentally was around the same time.exiled wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 13:15 Older photographs indicate that a solid line may have been used on the earlier autoroutes, but also the various autoroute companies and the government changed how the hard shoulders were designed after a horrific coach crash in the early 1980s, so the dashing may have dated from them.
Remember lane lines in France were once yellow as well, this seems to have gone out the window in the late 1970s.
UK hard shoulders are 3.3m, which is still narrower than a normal lane width, which is why smart motorways have a weird cross-section.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
- SouthWest Philip
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Re: Road edge markings in France?
Are the actual lanes on French motorways narrower too? Certainly feels that way.
For all that the French are more willing to build motorways than the UK, they always feel a bit underspecified to me. I've never understood why the aversion to cats-eyes in France too.
Re: Road edge markings in France?
Yes, they are 3.5m, vs 3.65m here.SouthWest Philip wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 21:40Are the actual lanes on French motorways narrower too? Certainly feels that way.
For all that the French are more willing to build motorways than the UK, they always feel a bit underspecified to me. I've never understood why the aversion to cats-eyes in France too.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Road edge markings in France?
Interesting that that 15 cm difference can be felt when you cross the Channel.Bryn666 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 22:03Yes, they are 3.5m, vs 3.65m here.SouthWest Philip wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 21:40Are the actual lanes on French motorways narrower too? Certainly feels that way.
For all that the French are more willing to build motorways than the UK, they always feel a bit underspecified to me. I've never understood why the aversion to cats-eyes in France too.
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Re: Road edge markings in France?
Especially with a speed limit 11 mph higher too. Italy is the same.exiled wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 09:50Interesting that that 15 cm difference can be felt when you cross the Channel.Bryn666 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 22:03Yes, they are 3.5m, vs 3.65m here.SouthWest Philip wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 21:40
Are the actual lanes on French motorways narrower too? Certainly feels that way.
For all that the French are more willing to build motorways than the UK, they always feel a bit underspecified to me. I've never understood why the aversion to cats-eyes in France too.
This raises the question, are our motorways over-designed, or are theirs under-designed? Answers on a postcard.
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.
Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
Re: Road edge markings in France?
Could be a bit of both? Personal POV but it does feel less jarring changing from an autoroute onto a D2 rural route nationale in France than it does between a motorway and a dual carriage way here
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