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Signalization Special Lanes
Turning Lanes
| A lane that must go a specific direction could have arrows painted in it, exactly like the U.S. In the example to the right, lane A must go straight and lane B must turn left. The turn lane B is called a "voie de stockage" in French. (This literally translates to a "storage lane", but it's really a turning lane.) |
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| Often in the mountains you will see an extra lane to the right dedicated to slow vehicles. Any vehicle travelling at 60 km/h or slower must use the lane, which is marked with the sign to the right. |
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| At the entrance to a highway, there is an acceleration lane to allow you to reach highway speed before having to merge in (marked 3 in the drawing). It will be separated from the highway by thick dashed lines (B) 3 m long with a space between them of 3.5 m. Notice the "lines of dissuasion" (A) between lanes 1 and 2. This means if you're in lane 2, you can move to lane 1 (to get around a slow person, for example). However, you may not change from lane 1 to lane 2. These closely-spaced lines always accompany on- and off-ramps and discourage lane changes while other people are entering or exiting the highway. |
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| At the exit of a highway, there will be a deceleration lane to allow you to slow down for the exit (marked 3 in the drawing). Never slow while still on the highway -- wait until you get into the deceleration lane. Like the acceleration lane, it is separated from the highway by thick dashed lines (B) 3 m long with a space between them of 3.5 m. Notice the "lines of dissuasion" (A) between lanes 1 and 2. This means if you're in lane 2, you can move to lane 1 (to get around a slow person, for example). However, you may not change from lane 1 to lane 2. These closely-spaced lines always accompany on- and off-ramps and discourage lane changes while other people are entering or exiting the highway. |
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On mountanous highways, there are sometimes special lanes for "runaway" vehicles on the downhill sections (marked 1 in the drawing). These lanes allow a vehicle to slow to a stop without brakes because they end in a pit of sand. They're designed for vehicles whose brakes have burned out from the downhill speed. These lanes are called "voies de détresse" in French and are idenitifed with a red/white checkerboard pattern.
These lanes are indicated by the signs below, which are generally places 150 m before the start of the lane. |
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Bus Lanes
| Often in a city you will find lanes reserved for buses. They are separated from the rest of the road by thick lines either dashed or solid (marked A in the drawing). Bus lanes can be authorized for use by taxis and ambulances. |
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Bike Lanes
| Bicycle lanes are reserved for bicycles without trailers. They are separated from the rest of the road by thick lines either dashed or solid (marked A in the drawing). No other vehicles may enter, stop or park in bike lanes. Bike lanes may or may not be painted a different color. |
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