Will lower speed limit help?

A general reduction in speed limit from 90kph to 80kph will do nothing to reduce accidents. Before retiring I was a professional emergency services driver and have tried to maintain my standards.

Driving daily on normal roads in my area I am frequently observing drivers well in excess of the current speed limit, using mobile phones while driving, failing to indicate their intention to turn, frequently driving at or less than one car length behind the vehicle in front no matter what speed they are driving, and overtaking on blind corners and hills.

If the French government wants to reduce accidents there needs to be a campaign to curb bad driving habits. Until that is done, nothing will change.

David Warner-Howard, Lot-et-Garonne

The proposed reduction will have no effect, in my opinion, on the poor driving skills and lack of common courtesy towards other road users exhibited by a significant proportion of French drivers, who appear to consider such behaviours as a badge of honour.

I would prefer to see a crackdown on dangerous driving with the police given the task of finding and prosecuting these individuals.

Sanctions could include the temporary withdrawal of licences and being subjected to a retest of driving skills.

Keith Cheeseman, Dordogne

I cannot see the point in dropping the speed limit as most drivers do not stick to the speed limits as they are. I had a good example today, I’m driving to Niort on the D744 doing just on 90kph and a transit van overtook me as if I was doing 50kph.

Also I caught him up when he had got stuck in traffic at Colonge. So he had not really gained anything by speeding.

If the limit is dropped to 80kph they will still carry on speeding.

Worse still is that a lot of drivers drive virtually attached to your boot which does frighten me in case something steps out in front of me and I have to do an emergency stop.

I have to say it’s not just French drivers it is also the same in England.

Dropping the speed limit will not solve the problem, especially at lunchtime when they rush home for their dinner.

Dave Lowe, Deux-Sèvres

It is reported that the government Comité interministériel de la sécurité routière road safety group could announce the reduction from 90kph at the group’s next meeting, set for January 2018. Look out for an update in our February edition.