Drop in fatalities on French roads

The number of people killed on French roads fell nearly 14% in October, according to official figures released on Thursday.

A total 275 fatalities occurred in October, compared to 319 in the same month in 2017, Sécurité routière said, a difference of 13.8%.

Following falls in July of 5.5% and August of 15.5%, the number of deaths on France's roads rose 8.8% in September, according to figures from Observatoire national interministériel de la sécurité routière.

Officials have been careful to point out that it is too early to say whether the speed limit on France's secondary routes, which was cut from 90kph to 80kph on July 1 amid much controversy, is having a direct effect on the number of fatalities.