Department demands speed limit cut rethink

One department in southwest France has taken a stand against the cut in speed limits from 90kph to 80kph on all secondary roads.

Elected representatives in Haute-Garonne have called on the government to adopt a more flexible approach to speed limits ahead of the new rules, which come into force on July 1.

Some 6,400km of the 400,000km of roads in France affected by the law change are in the department.

They have suggested that limits could be adopted according to studies carried out by local authorities on accident numbers and road safety along certain stretches of roads.

They said that an "effective road safety policy, both in terms of results and costs for society, is a policy based on rules that are understood, accepted and respected".

However, they believe that a system-wide reduction in speed limits on secondary roads "is misunderstood, or even judged useless by a large number of our fellow citizens".