Bikers tag dangerous French roads to shame authorities

Motorists may have noticed that some road surfaces have been spray-painted in bright colours. Rather than mindless vandalism, the markings are designed to show where uneven road surfaces pose a risk to vehicles and drivers.

Late 2025 saw renewed efforts, mainly by motorcyclists, to highlight potholes, cracks, dangerous speed bumps and slippery surfaces.

The operation has been carried out for a number of years by local groups of the Fédération française des motards en colère as part of a #TagTaRoute campaign. The aim is to shame local and departmental road teams into improving them.

“Peak activity is normally around the Easter weekend with formally established action,” said spokeswoman Aurélie Ronfort, “but local groups will go out at any time if they notice particularly bad roads.”

The Easter campaign, called Œufs de Pâques pour nids-de-poule (‘Easter eggs for potholes’) sees potholes decorated with chocolate or real eggs to draw attention to the hazard. 

In French, a pothole is known as a nid-de-poule (literally meaning ‘hen’s nest’).

Poor road surfaces are particularly dangerous for motorbike and cycle riders, causing loss of balance or throwing the bike off its trajectory.

If your vehicle is damaged due to poor road maintenance in France you may be entitled to compensation. 

The first step is to identify who is responsible for maintaining the road where the incident occurred. 

If the damage is significant and no agreement can be reached, you can take legal action. However, the process can be long and requires persistence and well-documented evidence.