-
Ski resort in French Alps to close due to lack of snow and funding cuts
Local officials have announced the closure of the Alpe du Grand Serre station in Isère, halting plans to keep it open year-round
-
Good news for Occitanie residents as ‘in demand’ flight route to run all year
Domestic flight will connect Perpignan and Lille twice per week
-
French weekend weather forecast June 28 - 29: ‘historic’ heatwave begins in south
Temperatures close to 40C are expected as 13 departments set for heightened heatwave alerts on Saturday
Coronavirus: road death toll halved during lockdown
While the number of high-speed offences and accidents increased.

Road deaths more than halved in April, with the lockdown cutting most non-essential traffic. The figure of 103 killed was 133 down on April 2019 – a 56% fall – and follows a 40% cut in March, when lockdown started.
Read more: how to get a Covid-19 car insurance refund in France
However, the national road safety body Sécurité Routière said the death toll figures gave a false image as numbers had fallen by less than the drop in road traffic. There was also the return of once-rare accidents where lone drivers had unexplained high-speed crashes, plus many flashed at more than 250kph.
Empty roads saw high-speed offences and accidents soaring. Research by Europe 1 showed speed traps caught 11,200 drivers going at least 50kph over the limit – up from 9,600 in 2019 – while radar alert firm Coyote showed 77% fewer vehicles on the roads.
Read more: France plans gradual sporting return
Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France