10,000 fake radars to tackle speeding

TEN thousand fake speed cameras - and another 500 real ones - will be installed on roads across France within three years, as part of new measures aimed at tackling an increase in road deaths.

Other plans approved by a government committee on Friday include a contrôle technique for motorbikes when they are sold on, making gloves compulsory for bikers and scooter riders, and compulsory helmets for cyclists under 12.

However the committee stopped short of the most controversial idea, cutting the overall speed limit on departmental roads from 90 to 80kph - a measure that had the support of road safety group la Ligue Contre la Violence Routière.

Prime minister Manuel Valls said: "The roads of France should not be a cemetery" - after road deaths increased in 2014 for the first time in 12 years, with signs that 2015 will also be higher.

The number of "radar zones" in France will be multiplied by four, by using fake cameras to act as a deterrent. Road safety authorities will also carry out an experiment using drones to detect dangerous driving.

The committee also wants to broaden the use of breathalysers linked to the ignition of cars, which a court could impose on drivers found guilty of drink-driving.

More drugs tests will be carried out at the roadside using a saliva-testing kit, instead of taking the suspect to hospital for blood tests.

Drivers' group 40 Millions d'Automobilistes describes the new measures as "repressive" and has launched a campaign site against them at legrandraslebol.com