Things I would like to know.....

Marguerite & Steve · Post by **Marguerite & Steve** » Wed 05 May 2010 12:07

How do the car registrations work, how can you tell a new car ??

Do they have personalised plates?

Just heard a siren in Ceret....whats that for?

Sav · Post by **Sav** » Wed 05 May 2010 12:21

Marguerite & Steve wrote: Just heard a siren in Ceret....whats that for?

You should have evacuated by now

Cheers Sav

Sav · Post by **Sav** » Wed 05 May 2010 12:22

Still time for a mug of PG though

Cheers Sav

sue and paul · Post by **sue and paul** » Wed 05 May 2010 12:31

Hi M & S! Welcome to our world here !!

I think fire sirens are tested the first Weds of the month always at the same time.

If you are buying a 2nd hand car, the carte grise gives the date of original registration. Not sure if you can just tell at a glance, like the 59 etc code in the UK. On that point, how does it now work in the UK, now that the year ends in 0 again. Has it gone back to 00/50 for 2010. That would be confusing. Only curious, that's all

Hope you're settling in well

Pete F · Post by **Pete F** » Wed 05 May 2010 12:45

sue and paul wrote:... On that point, how does it now work in the UK, now that the year ends in 0 again. Has it gone back to 00/50 for 2010.

No, it's 10/60. So they'll be OK until 2049...

thumbelina · Post by **thumbelina** » Wed 05 May 2010 17:50

The siren is for the pompiers. It means there is either an accident or fire or some kind of emergency somewhere.

I'm not aware that you can tell the year of registration of a French car - just the department (under the old system).

Post by **Kate** » Wed 05 May 2010 18:03

This was in a recent edition of PO Life

New French number plates

The SIVsystem

My husband used to know the number of every 'département' in France, which was a great help for insulting other drivers on the roads. With the characteristic Gallic gestures, he would shout "Parigot, tête de veau!" (Parisien)..... out of the window as the car in front made an unacceptable manoeuvre. However, from 2009, he has to find another outlet for his road rage as the French number plate system undergoes a complete makeover

Why?

The present numbering system for French number plates
dates back to 1950 and has nearly reached saturation point.
The computer system which currently manages number plate
registration is technically ancient!
Although over 150 million vehicles are currently registered,
only around 40 million are actually in use, due to owners
failing to declare the scrapping of their vehicles.

When?
From 1st January 2009, number plates in France will follow
a new system (The SIV system - "Système d'Immatriculation
des Véhicules") for new vehicles. From the 1st March 2009,
this will also apply to second-hand vehicles when home
moves, and other circumstances require changes to the
registration documents (carte grise).

What?
The new plates will be made up of two letters, three numbers,
and two more letters, eg “AB-123-CD” The characters
will be black on a white background with an "F" for France
under the EU logo, on a blue strip to the left of the plate
and a blue strip to the right with the owner’s département
number of choice, below the regional logo of the chosen
département. The vehicle will keep the same registration
number throughout its life. You may choose to change or
keep the departmental number and logo.

How?
Owners will be able to register their vehicles anywhere in
France, regardless of domicile, via authorized garages, dealers
or prefectures.
This removes the previous necessity of changing the vehicle
registration number when moving to another department.
A provisional “registration certificate” with the new registration
number will be issued on payment of the relevant tax
and valid for a month, allowing the driver to drive immediately.

The carte grise will be sent by registered post to the
owner’s home address within a week.

As for the sirens.... (another PO Life)

You will probably have heard the emergency sirens blasting out. This national network of 4,500 sirens is called the ‘réseau national d'alerte’ ( RNA), and would sound in three sequences of 1 minute each, separated by a silence of five seconds, if there were to be an imminent and major catastrophe. Do not be confused on the first Wednesday of the month at midday, when the sirens are tried out for just one minute, or by the short sequences used in some communes to alert volunteer firemen to man their posts for fire or accident.

Marguerite & Steve · Post by **Marguerite & Steve** » Wed 05 May 2010 18:12

Thanks Kate, that makes it very clear.. obviously not been reading the PO life thoroughly....tut tut...I promise I will read it page to page, easier now I can get a hard copy, not so easy on my laptop.

Post by **Kate** » Wed 05 May 2010 19:08

Will test you on the next one!

FORUM