French Driving Terms

• Accotement - Shoulder of road.
• Aire - Rest stop, often having a gas station, restaurant or other services.
• Agglomeration - Town.
• Allure - Speed.
• Autocollant - Sticker.
• Autoroute - Motorway often charging a toll for entrance. Autoroute sign's are colored blue with white lettering.
• Bataille - One of the three ways to describe how a vehicle is parked. Describes when a vehicle can park perpendicular to a street or building.
• Bifurcation - Autoroute-to-autoroute interchange.
• Bis - Alternative route, a sign marking a Bis will have a combination of yellow and black lettering and background, rectangular in shape. Bis is written on the sign.
• Borne - Road marker.
• Bouchon - Traffic jam.
• Brouillard - Fog.
• Camionette - Delivery van; weighs less than 3.5 t; a bit smaller than a fourgonette.
• Caravane - Camper trailer.
• Carrefour - Intersection.
• Cassis - Dib or double speed bump, same as a Dos-d'âne.
• Chaussé - Roadway.
• Circulation - Traffic.
• Clignotants - Signal lights/Blinkers.
• Constat amiable - The form to fill in and signed by all parties involved after an accident.
• Contrôle Technique - Periodic car inspection.
• Créneau - One of the three ways to describe how a vehicle is parked. Describes when a vehicle is parallel parked.
• Cycliste - Bicyclist.
• Cyclomoteur - Moped...Think of it as a cycle with a motor; do not confuse with motocycle.
• Danger - Sometimes written under a danger sign to highlight the risk.
• Dangereux - Normally used to describe a vehicle that is parked in a dangerous manner.
• Demi-tour - U-turn.
• Déviation - Detour. Signs marking a Déviation will have a yellow background and black lettering. Normally rectangular in shape with one pointed end, often has Déviation written on it.
• Dos-d'âne - Double speed bump, same as a Cassis.
• Ecart - Swerve.
• Épi - One of the three ways to describe how a vehicle is parked. Describes when a vehicle is parked at an angle.
• Essuie-glace - Windshield wiper.
• Feu - Light.
• Feux de Brouillard - Fog lights.
• Feux de Croisement - Low beam headlights.
• Feux de détresse - Hazard lights.
• Feux de position - Parking lights.
• Feux de route - High beam headlights.
• Flèche - Arrow.
• Frein - Brake.
• Frein à Main - Hand brake.
• Frein Moteur - Motor brake, found on diesel vehicles.
• Fourgonnette - Delivery van; weighs less than 3.5 t; a bit larger than a camionette.
• Gazole - Diesel.
• Gênant - When a vehicle is parked in a manner that is an obstruction or bothersome to others.
• Horodateur - Time stamp machine used for time-limited parking.
• Itineraire - Itinerary, route.
• Imparis - Odd.
• Lieux-dits - Community outside fixed incorporated area boundaries, normally with houses or buildings and found in the countryside.
• Ligne continue - Solid line.
• Ligne de dissuasion - Closely-spaced dashed lines in the middle of the road that indicate that while you technically CAN pass, you SHOULDN'T.
• Ligne de rive - Lines at the edge of the road.
• Manche à air - Wind sock.
• Motocyclette - Motorcycle...Do not confuse with cyclomoteur.
• Pare-brise - Windshield.
• Pair - Even.
• Panneau - Sign.
• Pare-choc - Bumper.
• Parking - Parking lot.
• Passage à niveau - Train crossing.
• Péage - Toll or toll booth.
• Pétale d'Embrayage - Clutch Pedal.
• Piéton - Pedestrian.
• Pneus à Clous - Studded Tires.
• Plaque d'Immatriculation - License plate.
• Pont - Bridge.
• Priorité - Priority.
• Priorité à droite - Yield right. See Right of Way in France.
• Priorité ponctuelle - One-time priority (right-of-way) at an intersection.
• Rappel - Often found underneath a speed limit sign to remind you at what speed you should be traveling.
• Relentisseurs - Speed bumps.
• Remorque - Trailer.
• Rond point - Roundabout.
• Roulez au pas - Drive slowly, often written underneath speed limit signs with a low speed.
• Route pour automobiles - Limited-access highway; may or may not be divided.
• Sans Plomb - Unleaded gas.
• Sens - Direction.
• Siège - Seat.
• Signalisation - The combination of signals, including roadsigns, markings on the road, poles, etc.
• Sortie - Exit, Sortie will often be written on exit signs.
• Stationnement - Parking.
• Station d'Essence - Gas Station.
• Suivre - Follow. Normally used in the context of 'Pour Paris Suivre Dijon,' - For Paris follow the signs for Dijon.
• Super - Super Unleaded.
• Traite - Line.
• Travaux - Roadwork.
• Vélo - Bicycle.
• Verglas - Black ice; icy patch on the road.
• Virage - Curve.
• Vitesse - Speed.
• Vitesse Limitée - Speed is limited. Is then followed by number that informs you what the maximum speed is.
• Voie - Lane.
• Voie de détresse - Runaway vehicle lane (distress lane).
• Voiturette - Very small car; don't need a license to drive; limited to 60 km/hr.
• Volant - Steering wheel.
• Vous n'avez pas la Priorite - 'You do not have the right of way.' This phrase is often seen underneath a yield sign before a roundabout.

Verbs

• Aborder - To reach.
• Braquer - To turn the wheel.
• Chevaucher - To straddle, overlap.
• Déboîter - To pull out.
• Déboucher - To pull out.
• Détendre - To relax.
• Depasser - To pass, overtake.
• Ecarter - To move over.
• Encrasser - To foul up.
• Entrâiner - To pull, to lead.
• Klaxonner - To honk.
• Passer - To pass, go ahead.
• Rétrécir - To take in, shrink.
• se Rapprocher - To draw closer.
• Serrer - To squeeze.