la route Flashcards
what are some risks on the road?
night time
bad weather
anxiety
dangerous drivers
How many accidents happen at night with how much draffic
Pourtant 45% des accidents mortels ont lieu la nuit pour seulement 10% du trafic.
why are humans bad at driving at night
L’être humain est mal adapté à vivre la nuit, et encore moins à conduire.
L’œil humain apprécie mal les contrastes. (vision)
Les repères pour évaluer les distances et les vitesses des autres usagers trompent le conducteur (evaluation of distance and speed of other drivers)
De plus, la nuit facilite l’endormissement du conducteur et de ses passagers. (sleep)
what should you do first once it gets dark
allumer tes feux de croisement à la tombée ou à la levée du jour, soyez le premier à le faire.
(dip lights at dusk/dawn)
why is it bad if a headlight is broken
you can be confused with a motor cyclists
where and when daylights
only at front of car
only during the day
what lights should you have on: at night with well-lit streets
When the road is lit, driving without lights or with daytime running lights is prohibited.
Use your feux de croisement
in built-up areas or outside built-up areas, on a lighted road drive with…
dipped headlights. (feux de croisement)
when is it possible to drive with position lights at night ( feux de positions )
In built-up areas, well lit, at night, it is possible to drive with the position lights alone, even in a tunnel.
If one of these three conditions is missing, only dipped headlights (feux de croisement) are authorized.
when to drive with les feux de route
On a road at night,
whether in built-up areas or outside built-up areas,
in the absence of public lighting and if you are alone,
to see and be seen.
Without clear lighting and if youre following someone/letting out a passenger, use your…… to avoid…
dimmed headlights to avoid blocking anyone (feux de croisement)
Si à votre tour, vous êtes ébloui par un véhicule qui vous suit… qu’est-ce que tu peux faire?
utilisez la position nuit du rétroviseur intérieur (night position of the interior mirror)
et facilitez le dépassement en serrant à droite tout en relâchant l’accélérateur. (release accelerate and pull to right)
what to do when passing a car with high beams on?
regardez le bord droit toute en ralentissant et faites un bref « appel de phares ». (flash of headlights)
what are Les appels lumineux
fonctionnent par l’allumage intermittent des feux de route et des feux de croisement.
Pour être efficaces, les avertissements lumineux doivent être brefs et répétés.
WARNING LIGHTS
when to use the ‘appels lumineux’
Avant de dépasser. A l'approche d'une intersection. Avant un virage ou un sommet de côte. Pour ne pas être ébloui. En cas de danger.
what is a ‘route sineuse’
winding road
when can you change the front fog beam lights over high beam at night?
on a winding road (route sineuse) to improve visibllity of edges when ALONE; pass to dipped headlights (feux de croisment) once alone
how to overtake at night?
Before overtaking, the driver can make a brief call with the main beam headlights (feux d eroute), he keeps the dipped headlights (feux de croisement) for the duration of the overtaking.
Once the vehicles are at the same height, it can switch to high beam while the overtaken vehicle will switch on the low beam.
what causes more accidents: plui legere ou plui forte?
plui legere
why is raining bad on road
Drivers perceive the danger more difficultly: braking distances increase, the wheels can spin in the event of a sudden start.
And at the start of a downpour, the fine rain mixed with dust makes the road very slippery.
une averse,
down pour
danger of driving through a puddle?
reduced grip (adherence)–> car can veer off course (un écart de direction.)
what to do when approaching a puddle
il faut ralentir et tenir fermement le volant.
À l’approche d’une flaque d’eau, il faut éviter d’éclabousser un piéton.
L’aquaplanage
hydroplanning
occurs when a layer of water builds between the wheels of the vehicle and the road surface, leading to a loss of traction that prevents the vehicle from responding to control inputs.
when might aquaplanage occur
hydroplaning can occur if the speed of the vehicle does not allow the tires to evacuate the water that is on the road.
Worn tires increase the risk of hydroplaning.
The car slides on the water and the driver completely loses control.
how can one improve visibllity while raining
La climatisation est le moyen le plus efficace pour désembuer l’habitacle. (INSIDE)
OUTSIDE: Le désembuage et le ventilateur dirigé sur le pare-brise et les vitres latérales, peuvent aussi être utilisés
mechanisms that help improve visibllity in car/?
as soon as it starts to rain, summarize the steps you should take
As soon as it rains, reduce your speed, increase your safety distances, avoid locking the wheels by braking suddenly. Allow for a greater braking distance than on dry ground and respect the speed limits which are reduced in rainy weather.
when it snows, what 3 conditions does the car need to have
- car in good shape and cleared of snow, if possible winter tires
pros and cons of snow tires
Les pneus neige améliorent l’adhérence sur la neige, mais peuvent aussi donner l’impression au conducteur de ne pas avoir besoin de réduire la vitesse ni d’augmenter ses distances de sécurité.
what do these signals do?
La signalisation indique clairement au conducteur si la route de montagne enneigée est accessible avec ou sans chaîne.
what does driving on snow require
La conduite sur neige nécessite de la lenteur (slow), de la souplesse (flexibllity) et beaucoup de place devant votre véhicule pour conduire avec le moins de pression possible (less pressure in front)
what do the snow chains do
Chains must be fitted to at least the two driving wheels. It is strongly advised to mount chains for the first time at home: it is a useful learning process.
can you pass a chasse neige?
its not allowed to pass by a snow plough even if road is free
le verglas
frost
what to do if there is verglas
When there is ice (near forest/rivers/tunnels/indicated danger signs); slow down speed and take identical, straight trajectory to avoid skidding + clear and flexible steering ations
During winter; put liquid anti-freeze fluid ( liquide antigel dans le lave-glace) in windshield washer fluid
But generally avoid icy roads
what to do if there is fog?
reduce speed in line with your visibllity
don’t follow car in fron tof you- keep safe distance in case they need to stop istnantly
put fog lights on (feux de brouillard)
what to do if there is fog?
reduce speed in line with your visibllity
don’t follow car in fron tof you- keep safe distance in case they need to stop istnantly
put fog lights on (feux de brouillard)
what lights to use during… FOG
can you use fog lights during rain?
no!
what lights to use during… SNOW
what lights to use during…RAIN
how can you tell if its safe to drive during wind?
Les zones particulièrement exposées au vent sont signalées à l’avance par un panneau de danger avant de rencontrer une manche à air implantée sur le bord de la chaussée qui en indique la force et la direction.
dangers of wind
Un vent violent provoque des écarts de trajectoire et provoque la présence sur la chaussée de branchages ou d’objets divers qui peuvent surprendre le conducteur et provoquer un écart brusque sur la voie en sens inverse.
how to respond in windy conditions
Reduce your speed and firmly hold steering wheel
dangers of sun?
can blind you
can tire you
can overheat you
how long does it take to regain vision after sun blinding
5-6 second
what to do if there is intense sun
So use your anti-sun pare-soleil (sun visor) and night position mirror
put on ‘feux the croisement’ to be better seen
what is the autoroute
highway- a separate road network that allows you to drive at high speeds while taking the least possible risk.
elimates slow drivers , users & intersections
What is the maximum distance of speed between users on the highway?
Why is access chargeable?
What users can use the highway?
The vehicles circulating there have very similar speeds, a difference of 40 km/h between users using the motorway is a maximum.
This is why access is chargeable and reserved only for users who can exceed 60 km/h of average speed.
how do you access the highway
via an accelration lane (une voie d’accélération ) that lets drivers reach the required speed to enter highway
what are traffic lanes for on the highway (Les voies de circulation )
The traffic lanes are designed to avoid slowdowns
what are emergency lanes for on the highway (les bandes d’arrêt d’urgence )
, the emergency lanes are reserved for users who have broken down or are unwell, as well as for emergency vehicles.
describe the lanes of a highway
To make traffic more fluid, portions of the motorway are fitted out with three traffic lanes, the leftmost lane is then prohibited for heavy and bulky vehicles over 3.5 t, over 7 m long. A car towing a caravan may be affected by this ban.
what happens if there is a hill on a highway
If the route of the motorway passes through a steep climb, a lane for slow-moving vehicles that cannot exceed 60 km/h is provided. Even if heavy goods vehicles use it most often, heavily laden light vehicles or vehicles towing a caravan may need to use this lane.
what type of driving is penalized on the highway?
- To not interrupt the flow
- the demi-tour (U TURN)
- crossing the median strip (terre plein)
- backing up on emergency lane and driving on emergency lane
what are the speed limits on the highway? (max, min, novice/bad weather, poor visibllity)
- Max 130 km/h
- Minimum 80 km/h
- Novice drivers/passengers/ bad weather 110 km/h
- If vis is less than 50 m= speed limit is 50 km/h
how do you leave the highway?
Des panneaux annoncent la sortie à 2000m, puis à 1000m.
Signaling on the ground reinforces these alerts to encourage the driver to refrain from overtaking. He must prepare to exit by using the deceleration lane as much as possible and avoid slowing down on the highway traffic lane
When approaching the toll, the driver chooses the left or right side to read the light indications more easily, then chooses a lane. Don’t change at the last minute or backtrack. Vehicles approaching the toll still have high speeds while the maneuvering vehicle is almost stationary.
The risk of a serious accident increases in these situations.
If you made a mistake, you can make a call and someone will answer you.
what are common risks on the highway?
- Somnolence (fatigue)= take breaks every 2 hours (or 20 km)
- Reduced speed between users
- Difference between high-weight vehicles is 90 km and fast vehicles is 40 km
- Returning on two-way after leaving the route
where should you not place the warning triangle?
on the highway emergency lane (XX le triangle de présignalisation sur la bande d’arrêt d’urgence.)
les chantier routieres
roadworks
WHAT TO DO when you approach les chantier routieres
o Pay attention to road signs and reduce speed/mtaintain distance
where are tramways usually
urban areas
how to act around tramways
o Trams are prioritized (with or without lights) so be vigilant when they approach you
o Avoid stopping on tram ways and take into account presence of pedesterians
o Trams drive between 16-25 km/h
o Be aware of trains coming from both sides
what’s special about tunnel signals
lights tell you your speed limit + distance
what headlights should you have in a tunnel
Les feux de croisement sont obligatoires.
explain the lighting in a tunnel and what it indicates
Emergency signs identify the emergency exits regularly located in the tunnel as well as the emergency call stations and firefighting equipment.
The light signaling and the blue diodes make it easy to position yourself on the lanes and to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front at all times.
what safety arrangements are there in a tunnel?
Safety niches, emergency exits and emergency stop locations have different functions.
The safety niches only allow the emergency services to be contacted directly and the use of extinguishers to be used to fight the start of a fire.
To protect yourself from a fire, you have to go to the emergency exits, and once in the shelter, you can contact and wait for help.
Emergency stop locations are set up in the event of a breakdown or illness to interfere as little as possible with the flow of traffic
how to enter a tunnel
Before entering a tunnel, you must remove your sunglasses to allow your vision to adapt gradually, follow the indications given by the signs and turn on the radio on the traffic frequency.
what to do once inside the tunnel
Once in the tunnel, stopping, parking and turning are prohibited, and overtaking is prohibited if the tunnel has only one lane. At the exit of the tunnel, slow down and prepare your sun visor so as not to be dazzled by natural light.
Put on feux de croisement
IN A TUNNEL: what to do when there is an accident? In the event of a breakdown or feeling unwell,
turn on the hazard warning lights (LES FEUX DE DISTRESS)
place the vehicle in a shelter or on the emergency lane
leave the keys in the ignition
contact the emergency services from a call terminal emergency to be located quickly.
IN A TUNEL: what to do if there is a fire?
in the event of a fire, the toxic fumes and heat can put you in danger very quickly.
Leave your vehicle at the regulatory safety distance, try to start putting out the fire but if you feel in danger, walk to the nearest shelter and wait for help to arrive.
l’abri
shelter
where might you see this and what does it mean
The “automatic signal” sign is used to distinguish the panel from level crossings equipped with manual barriers, which are becoming increasingly rare.
what does this mean?
100 m distance
what does this mean?
50 m distance
what is this and what does it do?
About 20 seconds before the train arrived, a bell rang; the barriers come down and the train passes…
what does this mean?
barriers are lowered; train is about to pass
train signals
meaning?
trains: Obligation to stop before crossing the tracks.
meaning?
Trains: Obligation de s’arrêter pendant toute la durée du feu rouge clignotant.
meaning?
Be careful, if there are several tracks, one train can hide another.
what type of train crossins are there?
Crossing a level crossing remains risky, accidents are few but always very serious. There are two types of level crossing, those with automatic half gates and those without gates.
what to train crossing normally have?
The majority of level crossings are equipped with automatic half-barriers, before the train passes, the red lights flash accompanied by a bell. Stopping is then mandatory.
how to approach a train crossing?
When approaching the level crossing, the signaling announces the presence of the level crossing at least 150m in advance, you must then reduce your speed and identify the type of level crossing
. If it is without a barrier, you should only enter once you have made sure of the presence or absence of a train.
Signage tells you if the level crossing has one or more lanes, the presence of a high voltage line or a blackcurrant or speed bump.
when do accidents happen on trains
Each accident at the level crossing is due to non-compliance with the rules of the highway code by the majority of light vehicles but also by pedestrians.
It is absolutely necessary to clear the way, if you get stuck, you can break the barrier or get out of the car if it is blocked.
A train traveling at 90 km/h takes 700 m to stop, your chances of survival are nil if you stay on the track.
