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La Voie Bleue: European Cycle Route of the Year is in France
700km bike path linking Luxembourg and Lyon has been crowned winner of the 2026 title
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Before and after: Garonne river floods in south-west France
Satellite images show extent of flooding from back-to-back storms in February
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Home insurance increases expected in France after floods
Compensation costs for the recent storms and flooding across the west and south-west is estimated to be in the billions of euros
Drivers must ‘park’ to use mobile
UK law is similar, with hand-held phones banned unless ‘safely parked’ or in an emergency
Drivers have been warned they cannot use mobile phones in their cars, even if stopped, pulled over or sitting with hazard lights on.
An appeal court ruling in the Cour de Cassation said vehicles were still seen as being ‘in traffic’ unless they were fully parked in a designated area – if not, having a phone in the hand was illegal.
Drivers breaking the law face a €135 fine and the loss of three points from the licence but the court said there was an exception in the case of a breakdown at the roadside to call for assistance.
The driver in the case had stopped on the outside of a quiet roundabout with his hazard lights flashing, so the court said he was ‘in traffic’.
