Autoroutes of France

Length

Numbering scheme

Named routes

• A1 is the autoroute du Nord.
• A4 is the autoroute de l'Est.
• A6 and A7 are autoroutes du Soleil, as both lead from northern France to the sunny beach resorts of southern France.
• A8 is named La provençale as it cross the geographical region of Provence.
• A9 is named La Languedocienne as it crosses the geographic region of Languedoc and also La Catalane because it leads to the region Catalonia in Spain.
• A10 is named L'Aquitaine because it leads to Bordeaux and the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
• A11 is named L'Oceane because it leads to the Atlantic Ocean.
• A13 is named the autoroute de Normandie as it traverses the region Normandy.
• A16 is named L'Européenne because it connects Paris with several European destinations such as the Belgium–France border, as well as Calais, which is connected with England.
• A20 is named L'occitane as it leads to the region Occitanie in south-west France.
• A21 is named the rocade minière because it crosses the Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin, the largest mining stub in France.
• A26 is named the autoroute des Anglais as it connects Calais, the main point of arrival for cars and lorries from the UK, before continuing to Troyes, and through the Champagne region, whose wines are loved by the British. In addition, it passes near the sites of the most famous battles fought by the British Army in World War I, such as Arras, Cambrai, and the Somme and not far from Ypres and Mons in Belgium. It also passes sites of earlier UK interest such as Crecy and The Field of the Cloth of Gold.
• A35 is called l'Alsacienne or autoroute des Cigognes as it passes only through the historical region of Alsace, for whom storks are a cultural symbol.
• A36 is called la Comtoise after the old region Franche Comté.
• A40 is named the autoroute blanche as it connects the French winter resort towns and the Alps.
• The A61 and A62 are named autoroute des deux mers because these roads connect the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea from Bordeaux via Toulouse to Narbonne.
• A68 is called autoroute du Pastel because it leads to Albi and to the Lauragais where woad was cultivated to produce pastel.
• A71 is called L'Arverne.
• A75 is called La Méridienne.
• A77 is called Autoroute de l'Arbre.
• A84 is called Autoroute des Estuaires. It is part of the main route between Belgium and Spain, avoiding Paris.
• A104, one of Paris's beltways, is also known as La Francilienne because it circles the region of Ile-de-France.

  Administration

• ALIS, operating the A28 Rouen-Alençon 125 km,
• SAPRR, 1801 km,
• AREA, 381 km,
• ASF, 2325 km,
• ATMB Autoroutes et tunnels du Mont-Blanc, 107 km,
• CEVM, 2.5 km,
• Cofiroute, 896 km,
• Escota, 460 km,
• Sanef, A.C.S. group, 1317 km,
• SAPN, 366 km,
• SFTRF, Société française du tunnel routier du Fréjus, 67 km,

Safety on French autoroutes

Motorway speed limits

• Under normal conditions -
• In rain or wet road conditions -
• In heavy fog or snowy/icy conditions -

Safe design

• one way driving: the lanes driving in the opposite direction are separated by at least a crash barrier designed to resist the oblique impact of a car at up to ; there are no intersecting roads but overpasses and underpasses;
• wider carriageways, with at least 2 lanes driving in the same direction, with a larger turning radius - some recently built autoroutes have one-lane-only sections; for privately operated motorways, in 2017, the proportion is 6800 km in 2x2 lanes, 2252 km in 2x3 lanes, 84 km in 2x4 lanes. Each lane is 3.5m wide.
• long entrance and exit ramps or slip roads to get in or out of the autoroute without disturbing the traffic;
• an emergency lane, where it is forbidden to drive, to park and to walk; Since 2000, new emergency lanes on newly built motorways should be 2.5m wide. According to the 2000 standard, the emergency lane must be included in a 10m wide security zone without obstacles.
• presence of emergency call boxes every on each side, that allow to call for help with the possibility to locate the call; some call boxes have flashing light that warn when there is a problem ahead;
• rest areas every and service areas every - on most recently built autoroutes these distances may be longer, up to 30/60km;
• regularly patrolling security services, to clear any obstacle and protect drivers in trouble with appropriate warning signs and beacons;
• dynamic information panels that warn about possible difficulties ahead ;
• a radio station provides traffic information bulletins every 15 minutes and breaking news for emergencies;
• on heavy traffic days, specific information and recreation events may be organised in rest areas;
• radars automatiques are installed in many locations, and announced by a specific road sign.

  Safety results

Fatalities accidents scenario

• A01 simple collision of two vehicle without direction change
• A06 crash on protection system such as safety traffic barrier
• A05 loss of vehicle control

  Fatalities and accidents remaining factors

Young drivers