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Here in France speed limit on Highways is 130 Km/h (81/82 mph).
But a few years ago, most of the people were driving between 160 and 180 Km/h (100-115 mph) in average, with frequent cars going around 200 Km/h (125 mph).
Unfortunately, the governement decided 3 years ago to fit over than 1,000 automatic radars (cameras) up (plus the road police with mobile laser cameras), and now people are driving really slower (130/150 Km/h 81/94 mph).
The aim goal of that measure was to decrease the number of death on the french roads. And it worked...We have now 50% less deaths per year on our roads, in comparison with year 2001/2002. I?m sure you?ve eared about the minister who decided this: it?s Nicolas Sarkozy, our Interior Minister, very famous in other coutries since the beginning of the riots in France two weeks ago...
But at the opposite, it?s not as funny driving in France now as it could be 3 or 4 years ago...
And you have to concider that other main problems still existing on french roads (or higways) : big quantity of vehicules, old ones, old drivers with lower reflexes, and especially the fact that France is geographicaly (?) THE ?cross-roads? in Europe. We have lots of foreign vehicules with us, what increases the total number of accidents in comparison with the french population number. Indeed, as soon as you make even less than 100 Km (62 miles), you?re sure to see at least 15 to 20 different nationalities with the different trucks and cars that are using the highway around you...
But to me, it?s funnier, and especially more safety to use the lines on highways differently as it?s used in north America (U.S. or Canada).
In North America, if I?ve understood, each line is ?locked?, ?defined?, each type of vehicule (trucks, buses, 1/2/3/4 person personnal cars...) has to use this or this line. In France, or larger in Europe, you have to use, whereas your vehicule category, the ?rightest? line when possible, and you?re going to the ?lefter? line to overtake the car ahead you. Then you go back ?rightest? as possible (but you stay on the highway, don?t matter...).
For me it could explain why the traffic is fluid, although most of our highways are 2X2 or 2X3 lines...
And it gives you the possibility to go faster than the others, because you?re not continualy in the rear bumper of the car ahead you...
To finish, I would say to Xboxdevil to try, if he can find it in Australia (not sure...), some French cars. His Mazda seems to have been fast for him (1.5L for 165 Km/h), but, for exemple, I had one year ago a Peugeot 106 (I hope you know existence of Peugeot... WRC worldchampion, Dakar number one some years ago...etc...), which was 1.4L for ?only!- 75 Hp. But this car could move 4 people and the luggages at nearly 210 Km/h (more than 130 mph), whereas it was a 1992?s built model (and more than 160.000 Km old -100.000 miles)...
With this car, two year ago, I travelled over 1000 Km (625 miles), in 7 hours, with nearly one hour of pause on a toll. And this is a ?small? engine. Just try new engines in gasoline or diesel, from Peugeot or Renault (which is possesing, Mack trucks, Volvo Trucks, or Nissan, and Few others...), and you?ll see you can go 230 km/h (more than 140 mph) with nearly 4 to 5 L per 100 Km.
But I?m already too long...
Just enjoy driving and travelling, be safe, and if you can, sometimes, help your valves in singing... ;-)
See (or read) you!
P.S.: Excuse my bad english, I?m not practising often...
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