Cycling in France? Don't forget your hi-viz gear

[Andrij]

Warning triangle and high-vis jackets required: This French Life
(first bit is about cars)

[tiermat]

Strange, I don't remeber seeing any of Le Tour riders wearing Hi Vis this year....

Maybe they should all be fined, after all the Gendarmes only need to watch Eurosport to get all the evidence they need.

good idea? dunno, bringing them in line with the rest of europe? Nope, it's still not alegal requirement here.  Nanny state? probably.  Expect much shrugging and arm waving from onion sellers in breton shirts.  Shall I stop the stereotypes now or later?

[nic]

Yet another case of the french state gone mad.

[blackpuddinonnabike]

Or as Inspector Clouseau would say, 'Political correctness gone merde'.

[gonzo]

"Also from September 1 cyclists will be required to wear high visibility jackets when outside towns, as well as during the night or when visibility is poor."

You've GOT to be joking. I'm going to France for three months at the end of this year to enjoy some cycling.

*edit* - the original sentance reads: "Obligation pour tout cycliste circulant hors agglomération, de nuit ou de jour si visibilité mauvaise , de porter un giletrétro-réfléchissant à partir du 1er septembre 2008."

The wording could mean that you have to wear them outside of towns when it's dark or there's low visibility instead.

[Maladict]

Strange, I don't remeber seeing any of Le Tour riders wearing Hi Vis this year....

Also from September 1 cyclists will be required to wear high visibility jackets when outside towns, as well as during the night or when visibility is poor.

Is it September 1st yet?

[Snugsy]

Yet another case of the french state gone mad.

Do you really think any French cyclists (outside Paris) will take this seriously, especially the sporty types?

It's too bloody hot over there to wear a h*lm*t during the summer, let alone any other unnecessary garment.

[tiermat]

Strange, I don't remeber seeing any of Le Tour riders wearing Hi Vis this year....

Also from September 1 cyclists will be required to wear high visibility jackets when outside towns, as well as during the night or when visibility is poor.

Is it September 1st yet?

Sorry my misreading, saw the July 1st for car stuff and completely skipped over the date for cyclist stuff....

<note to self, stop speed reading....>

[peterh]

Isn't there a potential loophole in the wording?  It says 'porter un gilet' which is intended to mean 'wear a gilet' - it could also be translated as 'carry a gilet'.

Think this is also why I often see people riding motorbikes in France with a helmet hanging off their arm!

[Attitudeless Badger]

I think for cyclists, it is just in terms of poor visibility in the day.  Not sure how poor visibility will be defined

For those of you driving in France, the triangle law will not actually be applied by the gendarmes till October time, as funnily enough, all the shops are out of triangles for the moment.

[Maladict]

No ambiguity - that's the motor vehicles requirement.

[Attitudeless Badger]

the original sentance reads: "Obligation pour tout cycliste circulant hors agglomération, de nuit ou de jour si visibilité mauvaise , de porter un giletrétro-réfléchissant à partir du 1er septembre 2008."

The wording could mean that you have to wear them outside of towns when it's dark or there's low visibility instead.

Gonzo - I have just done some reading on some forums ("Encore un forum pour des cyclistes" anyone) and this latter interpretation is correct.  Porter in this case does apply wearing rather than merely carrying.

[gonzo]

Thanks for that Veloist!

Could someone post if they hear any developments?

[alexb]

The translation actually reads night and day if the visibility is poor.

Presumably if the visibility is good, then it's not required....

[gonzo]

Presumably this is important for everyone that wants to ride PBP then?

[pcolbeck]

Are the French cycling clubs up in arms about this or are they all redoing their team jerseys in variations of dayglow yellow ?

[Greenbank]

Presumably this is important for everyone that wants to ride PBP then?

Didn't PBP have its own requirements for hi-viz jackets or Sam Browne style belts?

[phil d]

At long last those purple and yellow AUK shirts make sense!

[FatBloke]

If this is like most other French road laws it will only apply to, and be applied to the British! 

The French will do what they always do with laws they disagree with: ignore it with seeming impunity, whilst the will go about thier duty by ticketing any Brit breaking their silly laws   

[Regulator]

Sorry to burst your bubble folks - but it has been compulsory for motorists to carry a warning riangle and a reflective jacket in their vehicle since 1 October 2006 - and a triangle alone since 1998.

As far as I am aware, there is no requirement for cyclists to wear reflective jackets - this would only apply if they were using French motorways, which of course they are forbidden from doing.

I don't know that law that web-site is claiming, but certianly it is not one that anyone else seems to be aware of.

Seems to me like we are seeing the birth of an urban myth...

[Greenbank]

Sorry to burst your bubble folks - but it has been compulsory for motorists to carry a warning riangle and a reflective jacket in their vehicle since 1 October 2006 - and a triangle alone since 1998.

From 1st October it'll be compulsory to wear the reflective gilet if you break down and have to use the triangle. Before now it's only been compulsory to carry the reflective jacket but not use it.

Here's a direct link to the page on the relevant French Government page: Le site de la Sécurité Routière - Gilet et triangle de présignalisation  

As far as I am aware, there is no requirement for cyclists to wear reflective jackets - this would only apply if they were using French motorways, which of course they are forbidden from doing.

Separately there are laws coming in to make it compulsory for cyclists to wear hi-vis in certain circumstances. Nothing to do with motorways. I can't find anything on that government site although that's more to do with my poor French than anything else.

[Regulator]

Sorry to burst your bubble folks - but it has been compulsory for motorists to carry a warning riangle and a reflective jacket in their vehicle since 1 October 2006 - and a triangle alone since 1998.

From 1st October it'll be compulsory to wear the reflective gilet if you break down and have to use the triangle. Before now it's only been compulsory to carry the reflective jacket but not use it.

Here's a direct link to the page on the relevant French Government page: Le site de la Sécurité Routière - Gilet et triangle de présignalisation  

As far as I am aware, there is no requirement for cyclists to wear reflective jackets - this would only apply if they were using French motorways, which of course they are forbidden from doing.

Separately there are laws coming in to make it compulsory for cyclists to wear hi-vis in certain circumstances. Nothing to do with motorways. I can't find anything on that government site although that's more to do with my poor French than anything else.

As I understand it, the wearing the gilet law has been in place for drivers since 2006.  AFAIK there is no law relating to cyclists and gilets.

[Greenbank]

As I understand it, the wearing the gilet law has been in place for drivers since 2006.  AFAIK there is no law relating to cyclists and gilets.

That's the point. They are introducing one. RTFA!

Here's a link to the document in question on an official French Govnerment website:-

http://www.asso-psre.com/pdf/Gilet_triangle_VF.pdf

Read the bit at the bottom "And our cyclist friends?"

(And, as others have already clarified, porter = wear, not just carry.)

[Pete]

I shall be in France - and doing a bit of cycling, hopefully - next week, and I'll report back on what I see other cyclists wearing.   A higher proportion of French cyclists are roadies than in Britain, not surprisingly, and they usually wear full road kit.  I can't see these guys donning hi-viz vests, to be honest...

[Pete]

Regarding the wording of that crucial final paragraph ("ET NOS AMIS CYCLISTES"), I agree that it is ambiguous - verbal obfuscation is not a purely anglophone phenomenon!  I hope Veloist's interpretation is correct: that the conditions "hors agglomeration" and "de nuit ou de jour si visibilité mauvaise" are meant to be ANDed together, not OR'ed together - i.e. you only need to wear the gilet if both conditions are met.  But the use of the comma leaves it open to doubt....