Any visitor to France who thinks the country’s drivers are pushy, rude and prone to parking wherever their cars might conceivably fit had confirmation from an unlikely source this week — the drivers themselves.
According to a survey carried out by AGF, an insurance company, and APFC, an association for preventing road rage, six out of 10 French drivers believe their fellow motorists are impolite and aggressive behind the wheel.
“Civic behaviour, politeness, respect, patience and common sense are concepts which seem to totally escape the French when they are behind the wheel,” APFC said.
The list of galling Gallic transgressions on the road remains long — and dangerous.
Half the respondents felt drivers do not respect pedestrians.
The pollsters pointed out that the pedestrians themselves had a much lower regard for motorists with 87% saying that they often or sometimes have difficulty crossing a road. Much of that could be attributed to the peculiar French blindness of crosswalks and a fondness for speeding, even between traffic lights.
More than one driver in three admitted that he or she “regularly parked on the sidewalk”.
And one in five of all the respondents — and one in three of the respondents aged 18 to 24 — also confessed to using a cellphone while driving.
APFC, which conducted the survey before the national Day of Politeness Behind the Steering Wheel, to be held on Thursday, said the French behaviour contrasts with that in Britain, where motorists are seen to be calm, orderly and considerate. — AFP