A new road sign aimed at improving safety for drivers in distress has been added to France’s Code de la route (road safety laws) after being trialled for three years in the west of France.
Failure to respect the sign can result in a fourth-class fine of up to €135.
The sign, which you can see below, was added to the rulebook on April 9 via a decree in France’s Journal Officiel, and relates to the safety of drivers or emergency vehicles using the hard shoulder.
The rule changes allow for widespread use of the three signs, which explain the procedure to follow in the event of a stopped or slowed-down vehicle using their hazard lights – or an emergency service vehicle using its lights – on the hard shoulder (bande d’arrêt d’urgence).
Drivers passing these vehicles need to reduce their speed, move out of the way, and if possible, change lanes so as to not be adjacent to the hard shoulder.
The signs reinforce these commands, which have been in the Code de la route since 2018 under Article R.412-11-1.
This article introduced rules around safer driving habits near the hard shoulder, attempting to create a ‘security corridor’ to keep those immobile on the hard shoulder safe from passing vehicles.
Motorway concessionaire Vinci Autoroutes has been trialling the signs for three years on certain roads, and say they have improved drivers’ knowledge of the 2018 rules which many were unaware of.
The number of drivers unaware of rules relating to this ‘security corridor’ fell from 27% in 2020 to 19% in 2024 according to the operator’s annual study on safe driving.
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However, the operator added that on average one emergency vehicle per week is still hit when using the hard shoulder, and 67% of drivers do not systematically apply the rules.
