Let's start easy. What does this mean?
A) No drivers allowed who are aged 70 or older
B) End of the speed limit of the 70 kilometre zone
C) You are now leaving the 70th département of France
The answer was B. And that's as easy as it gets. What about the sign above?
A) Accident ahead that's blocking the road
B) Risk of driving off road and down a hill or crevice
C) Impossible hill inclination ahead
Yes, that was A, suggesting an accident ahead. Fair enough. What about the one above. Is it:
A) Toll booth payment for drivers with season tickets
B) Train station ahead for passengers with season tickets
C) Truck stop ahead for drivers with season tickets
It was A. OK, let's take it up a notch. What is this red circle above?
A) Residential area ahead, slow down
B) This sign does not exist
C) Traffic flow forbidden in both directions
We forgive anyone who said B, that the sign doesn't exist, but they're wrong. The answer is C. Don't ask why. What about this one (above) – what does it mean?
A) Conservation area ahead
B) Psychedelic tunnel ahead
C) Recycling station ahead
Boringly enough for any psychedelic tunnel enthusiasts, the answer is A, conservation area. But what about the one above with the mysterious acute-accented e (é)?
A) Stopover village ahead (Village étape, hence the é)
B) Art and craft fair on Sundays ahead (the é is just an arty pattern, nothing but a coincidence)
C) School ahead, slow down (Zone d'école, hence the é)
The answer was A, a village étape. Tricky, no. How about this one?
A) No crossing the river with wheeled vehicles, only boats and rafts
B) Access forbidden for vehicles carrying water pollutants
C) Approach riverside with caution, tide can rise quickly
The answer was B. How about this?
A) Parking forbidden from the 16th to the end of the month
B) No parking after 4.30pm
C) Vehicles longer than 16.31 metres not allowed
It was A. And lastly, what about this?
A) Detour for cyclists
B) Picnic area ahead
C) Emergency pullover area
Answer below picture.
READ ALSO: How French motorists drive expats crazy
Yes, the last one was C. An easy one to finish, perhaps. How did you go in the nine questions?
0-4 – Get off the roads and take public transport.
5-7 – Well done, you're better than the average French driver.
8-9 – We don't believe you – but congratulations! You are King (or Queen) of the French road.
Prévention Routière has a guide to driving in France along with a list of the rules on its website. You can view it by clicking here.
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