French motoring groups challenge speed bump safety

Three French motoring groups have prompted a judicial inquiry into hundreds of thousands of speed bumps across the country that they consider dangerous.

The groups - la Ligue de défense des conducteurs, Automobile-club des avocats and Pour une mobilité sereine et durable - claim that some 450,000 of the traffic calming measures across the country do not meet official standards.

Following the complaint, a judicial investigation was opened for "endangering the life of others" a first in France, according to the associations.

Rémy Josseaume, president of the Automobile-club des avocats, said the group had particular concerns about Berlin cushions, rubber speed bumps which - he said - can be particularly dangerous in rainy weather for motorbikes.

It is not the first time a complaint has been filed against a traffic-calming measure. In January 2020, a motorist billed local authorities in southeast France for thousands of euros worth of damage caused to his car when he drove over a speed hump.

The driver had the backing of Pour une mobilité sereine et durable, which highlighted last week that it had previously launched two legal actions against the city of Toulon and the Var department for the same reason.