French road network 'is getting worse' survey finds
The french road network is getting worse – and inconsiderate driving is not helping, according to a survey by the leading consumer watchdog UFC-Que Choisir .
Toll motorways and ring roads were praised in the study but departmental and local roads bore the brunt of complaints.
And while 98% of drivers believe themselves to be considerate behind the wheel, they also claim the majority of other road users are less thoughtful and more than half (52%) admit to speeding – with 57% of SUV drivers saying they sometimes speed up to catch the traffic lights.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of those who took part in the study said the quality of the roads has deteriorated in recent years, while 25% said that they do not feel safe while driving.
Since 2004 local and departmental authorities have had responsibility for much of the French road network but grants for maintenance projects have fallen year on year.
“Our investigation revealed a strong sense that the roads in France have degraded,” the watchdog said, noting that the state of the road plays a part in 47% of fatal collisions.
That view is backed by motoring lobby group 40 millions d’automobilistes. It said: “The state cannot continue to set motorists ambitious road safety targets while it disengages from road maintenance.”
Its own campaign, J’ai mal à ma route, which launched in November 2015 and invited motorists to send in pictures of poorly maintained roads, prompted the government to set aside €150million for road improvements earlier this year.
“This is obviously still not enough but it is a positive signal,” the organisation said.
Ninety per cent of those polled said they were satisfied with the state of autoroutes; compared to 74% satisfaction with other main routes; 50% with town or city roads; and 27% satisfaction with other routes.
Almost all (95%) believe that improving the quality of the roads would improve safety, along with ensuring road signs are clearly visible (94%).
However 83% were against the idea of cutting the limit from 90kph to 80kph on departmental roads, while 87% were against cutting the motorway limit from 130kph to 110kph. Only 56% supported plans to cut the drink-drive alcohol limit from 0.5g to 0.2g.
