Car stopped on A7 for luggage 400kg over legal limit

The Renault Laguna was travelling south on the A7 motorway near Valence (Drôme) when it was intercepted, and was found to be stuffed full of luggage and objects, including next to the driver’s seat and in the car itself, as well as two huge parcels wrapped in plastic and strapped precariously on the top and back of the vehicle.

The car was found to be weighing 400kg more than the official authorised limit for a vehicle, which is two tonnes, including car, bags, and passengers.

The driver was fined 135€ and was forced to take off the excess weight - transferring it to another vehicle - before continuing his journey.

Finding the humour in the situation, the national gendarmerie posted a photo of the car on their Facebook page, sarcastically calling the driver “the champion of the weekend”.

On a more serious note, the gendarmerie warned: “It is dangerous to drive a car that is too heavy and badly secured: the braking distance will be much longer [to stop] and it is much more difficult to handle the vehicle.”