One of the most annoying things I find about driving in France is the fact that you don’t actually need to have a driving license to be on the road. “What?!” I hear you say. Well, if you want to drive a normal car and actually get anywhere in a normal time then yes, you need a license, but if somehow you’ve not managed to pass your test or have had your license taken away from you then you can drive one of these:
Or if that one is a bit to basic how about one of these?
That’s right, you can still have a car, albeit one that allows you to drive without a license. If you’ve had your license taken away from you say for drink driving, well you can still legally be on the road, drunk and ready to hit a pedestrian, a tree or another car!
This bewilders me. Surely there is a valid reason as to why these people do not have a license?
When I was living in Lyon I had a couple of close calls with these fake cars as I call them. One tried to plough me down on a pedestrian crossing and another carved me up.
Now that I’m living in the countryside it is frequent that I get stuck behind one or have to swerve to miss one. They dawdle at no more than 60 kmh (I think) which is still plenty fast enough to cause damage. Their owners rarely seem to care about other drivers. Indicators? What are they for? Right hand side of the road? No, they can frequently be seen around here wobbling all over the road.
Of course, they are a good method of transport offering independence to those that don’t (or no longer have) a license but to the rest of us they are menace. If they hit a child the consequences could still be fatal.
What to you think? Danger or transport solution?
What I think is this is unbelievable!
Can’t wait to see your Mum’s response! 😆
I think I will have to give up hope of my Mum ever driving in France if she reads this…
I agree – I think she’d be horrified!
Hi Robyn, we also have them in Portugal but here they overload the cars and if it was not so dangerous it would be hilarious…I’ve not seen the more posey version. Which makes me wonder if there is a minimum age or max age you can drive one of these?
Min age is probably 16, maximum is probably not defined!
I see those little cars all the time around Sablet. I didn’t know that there was a possibility the person behind the wheel might not have a license or legal right to drive a car. Scary! I will pay more attention when I see them in the future.
Yes Michel do avoid them! I don’t know what would happen if they were caught drink driving but judging by some of the ones around here some of the drivers are definitely not sober! I don’t bear to think what damage they could do.
Very strange I will admit, though I`ve not had any trouble with them beside their slow speed. After all, same applies to cyclists. Our French neighbour calls them suppositoirs pour camions!
LOL! A very appropriate name 🙂
Their slow speed is definitely annoying especially around the twisty lanes here but that doesn’t bother me as much some of their blatant disregard for la code de la route and other drivers. It really worries me especially when driving through our little village near the school. A cyclist can also be a pain but they don’t cause as much damage, a child can be seriously injured or killed by a car even travelling at small speed so these guys just worry me 😦 I just don’t see how they can be legal.
They used to stand out because they were covered in stickers advertising beer and bars……
They are also extremely expensive in comparison to proper cars showing that, as usual in France, there is a way round everything if you can pay.
Why am I not surprised that they’re expensive? Somehow that doesn’t shock me in the slightest. The beer and bar advertising shouldn’t either but it does. Not seen any around here with advertising on but I’m not sure if they’ve relaxed the advertising rules on alcohol that much… Do you have them in Costa Rica too?
No way! And the MOT is much more severe too…except there is a thriving business in hiring tyres and parts to pass it which rather defeats the object…
That is totally crazy. The second car reminds me of the movie The Good Life and how he almost kills his love interest when trying to answer his cell phone. Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to you too 🙂
I do believe the gov has closed the loophole that allows people who lose their licence to drive one of these, about time too!
http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F1464.xhtml#N10155
Thanks for the link Sarah 🙂 Definitely a promising step in the right direction! Now to sort out a proper license for these drivers! A bit concerning that the fine for not respecting the conditions required to be able to drive one of these is only 35 Euros… I wonder what other comeback the authorities have?
I also agree that this is super odd. The first time I had heard that you can drive a “special” car without a license was when a friend of mine told me that her father-in-law had one to drive. I was like, what??? I think it’s ludicrous for the same reason you state, going 60 can still hurt or kill someone, especially if it is a small child! Craziness.
Ashley
Exactly! I couldn’t care less that they drive slower than the rest of us, they can still drive fast enough to cause serious damage or death 😦
LOL 🙂 this car would be perfect for me at 60kph top speed 🙂
They have the same cars here in Portugal and they drive ME mad, especailly when I encounter them on the wibbly wobbly road driving down to town as there is nowhere to overtake. For the life of me I can’t understand why they allow people to drive these without a license when you need a license to drive a motorbike over a certain CC. The “country” folk Mr and MRs squeeze into these half cars along with their dogs and chickens along with the weeks shopping. I should try and take a photo!
I would drive in France but since driving in Portugal, where everyone sits on your tail, overtakes on a blind bend or on the brow of a hill, I’ve lost my confidence a bit. Added to the fact your runaround is an automatic…perhaps I should buy a half car?
You should take a photo, would love to see it!
What’s wrong with my automatic? It’s easier than driving shift-stick, just like a go-Kart! I’ll take you out around the back lanes 🙂
I’m just nervous the automatic will drive off when I’m not expecting it to.
no, that is why you have a brake pedal!
We have the same rule in NC, only they drive Mopeds and cause traffic to back up for miles. We often think it only causes more problems. Isn’t the point of retracting the license to pull them off the road? Good luck!
We have mopeds here too… they’re quite often used by teenages not yet of age to have a driving license. Thankfully they do have to pass a special license but they are dangerous too. I am dreading the day that Baby Piglet requests this type of transport…
Hello, i’m french (sorry),and i’ve a “real” car, but if the use of this kind of vehicule is growing it’s cause of the speed controls (and other police control) which are more and more important. Then take care, because it’s easy money and it will comes to you as soon as possible. Except if you don’t need to use car. Then, see you soon in ‘micro” car.
Don’t apologise for being French! I know I French bash occasionally but it’s purely out of frustration! I love the French and my Hubby is French as are the majority of my friends 🙂
Tell me about the speed cameras and police controls! Eewwwwkkkk! There’s like a hundred times more than 10 years ago but at least people are generally driving slower on the roads now. I can remember when the “norm” on the motorway was 150kmh, anything slower and you’d be tooted!
Spotted one of the A7 the other day, literally hiding! Thank goodness for GPS warnings but I believe they are becoming (or already are?) illegal 😦
I lost quite a lot of points in quick succession but then found out about a driving course you can take to regain back a certain number of points. Thankfully it didn’t come to that as they are costly and I paid more attention to my speed so gained back my lost points 🙂
I think normal size cars should be banned and replaced with these things, that would reduce the amount of blood shed on the roads for sure.