Two-year test for 80kph speed limit
Reduction will only apply to France's most dangerous D-roads and could be formally announced in January
THE SPEED limit on some of France's most dangerous departmental roads is set to be cut from 90 to 80kph in a two-year trial.
Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve is reportedly planning to announce the move in January, following a pledge by his predecessor Manuel Valls to take action 12 months ago.
The reduction will apply to D-roads considered to be accident hotspots, based on crash statistics from recent years.
According to Le Parisien, the speed limit cut will be discussed at a meeting of the national road safety body CNSR on Monday at the National Assembly.
Drivers' association 40 Millions d'Automobilistes says a recent survey revealed that most people are against the idea of an overall cut to 80kph on all roads currently at 90.
Safe driving campaign group La Ligue Contre La Violence Routière argues that the speed limit cut should be applied to all departmental roads to avoid confusion.
Road safety authorities will also discuss other plans next week including the installation of a breathalyser linked to a car's ignition, for drivers who have previously been convicted of drink-driving.
The number of people killed on French roads has risen this year for the first time in 12 years.
By the end of December it looks set to be two per cent higher than 2013. The number of people hospitalised in road accidents is up three per cent over the same period.
