Road edge markings in France?

Going on holiday? Just returned with pictures or news? Found an interesting website? Post everything international in here.

Moderator: Site Management Team

Post Reply
Chris56000
Member
Posts: 1034
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2002 21:16
Location: Walsall Wood, WALSALL, West Midlands

Road edge markings in France?

Post by Chris56000 »

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
User avatar
Bryn666
Elected Committee Member
Posts: 35717
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 20:54
Contact:

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by Bryn666 »

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.
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
User avatar
Vierwielen
Member
Posts: 5661
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 21:21
Location: Hampshire

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by Vierwielen »

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
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.
mwacuk
Member
Posts: 467
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2005 20:14
Location: East Yorkshire

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by mwacuk »

I may be wrong, but are hard shoulder markers also dashed on *some autopistas/vias in Spain as well?
User avatar
c2R
SABRE Wiki admin
Posts: 11156
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2002 11:01

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by c2R »

mwacuk wrote: Sat Mar 13, 2021 10:58 I may be wrong, but are hard shoulder markers also dashed on *some autopistas/vias in Spain as well?
They are. Although it's not universal!
Is there a road improvement project going on near you? Help us to document it on the SABRE Wiki - help is available in the Digest forum.
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Get involved! - see our guide to scanning and stitching maps
User avatar
exiled
President
Posts: 24567
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 17:36
Location: South Lanarkshire

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by exiled »

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.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!
User avatar
Bryn666
Elected Committee Member
Posts: 35717
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 20:54
Contact:

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by Bryn666 »

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.
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.

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
User avatar
exiled
President
Posts: 24567
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 17:36
Location: South Lanarkshire

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by exiled »

Bryn666 wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 20:02
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.
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.

Remember lane lines in France were once yellow as well, this seems to have gone out the window in the late 1970s.
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.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!
User avatar
Bryn666
Elected Committee Member
Posts: 35717
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 20:54
Contact:

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by Bryn666 »

exiled wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 20:16
Bryn666 wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 20:02
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.
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.

Remember lane lines in France were once yellow as well, this seems to have gone out the window in the late 1970s.
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.
French hard shoulders are 2.5m on quieter roads, and 3.0m where HGVs are above a threshold.

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
User avatar
SouthWest Philip
Member
Posts: 3473
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2002 19:35
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by SouthWest Philip »

Bryn666 wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 21:31 French hard shoulders are 2.5m on quieter roads, and 3.0m where HGVs are above a threshold.

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.
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.
User avatar
Bryn666
Elected Committee Member
Posts: 35717
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 20:54
Contact:

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by Bryn666 »

SouthWest Philip wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 21:40
Bryn666 wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 21:31 French hard shoulders are 2.5m on quieter roads, and 3.0m where HGVs are above a threshold.

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.
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.
Yes, they are 3.5m, vs 3.65m here.
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
User avatar
exiled
President
Posts: 24567
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 17:36
Location: South Lanarkshire

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by exiled »

Bryn666 wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 22:03
SouthWest Philip wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 21:40
Bryn666 wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 21:31 French hard shoulders are 2.5m on quieter roads, and 3.0m where HGVs are above a threshold.

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.
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.
Yes, they are 3.5m, vs 3.65m here.
Interesting that that 15 cm difference can be felt when you cross the Channel.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!
User avatar
Bryn666
Elected Committee Member
Posts: 35717
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 20:54
Contact:

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by Bryn666 »

exiled wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 09:50
Bryn666 wrote: Sun Mar 14, 2021 22:03
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.
Yes, they are 3.5m, vs 3.65m here.
Interesting that that 15 cm difference can be felt when you cross the Channel.
Especially with a speed limit 11 mph higher too. Italy is the same.

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
User avatar
exiled
President
Posts: 24567
Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 17:36
Location: South Lanarkshire

Re: Road edge markings in France?

Post by exiled »

Bryn666 wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:09 Especially with a speed limit 11 mph higher too. Italy is the same.

This raises the question, are our motorways over-designed, or are theirs under-designed? Answers on a postcard.
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
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!
Post Reply