Petrol ban to stop annual car burning

EIGHTEEN departments have banned the sale of petrol in cans today in the hope of reducing the number of arson attacks on cars.

Last year 1,147 cars were set alight over the course of New Year's Eve – the highest number on record, up 30% on the previous year.

Car burning is practically a tradition on December 31 and many insurers refuse to cover the risk on this night.

STORY: ‘Ban car arsonists from driving’

Those travelling this weekend are facing up to 350km of traffic jams across France's motorway network as the Christmas holiday comes to an end.

Traffic watchdog Bison Futé has issued an "orange" warning - the second level of four - on Sunday as everyone heads home from the festive break.

Roads into Paris will start clogging up from New Year's Day afternoon and drivers have been encouraged to avoid travelling back to the capital between 15.00 and 21.00 on Friday or Saturday.

Sunday will be the busiest day nationwide, with the worst jams around the Ile-de-France, which should be avoided between 12.00 and 21.00 where possible.

Although the weather conditions are nowhere near as bad as they were during the pre-Christmas getaway, Bison Futé is nonetheless recommending that drivers check the forecast before setting off.

An "orange" traffic warning means between 150 and 350km of congestion is expected on the roads. The next level, red, means up to 600km of queues.

The worst level, black, is issued when traffic is expected to be so bad that drivers should do all they can to avoid travelling.

Photo: Timm Williams