Police increase checks on drivers in south of France due to rise in accidents

Police in a southern French department are to increase the number of roadside checks carried out, as the number of deaths has increased fourfold compared to last year. 

Nine people have died in road accidents since the start of 2025 in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, compared to only two in the same period the previous year. 

In April alone, two people died on the roads of the department and a further 22 suffered injuries. 

Motorcyclists account for two-thirds of the overall deaths. 

Alongside these deaths, the number of accidents are up 13%, hospitalisations of drivers up 7%, and licence suspensions up by 46% compared to the previous year - almost 600 licences have been revoked since the start of the year in the department.

Prime reasons for these figures include driver fatigue, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and speeding. 

A national issue

Police will carry out more checks on drivers to tackle the issue, including from officers patrolling in unmarked vehicles. 

“We are going to have a fleet of unmarked vehicles which will criss-cross the department's roads, and which will enable us to crack down on speeding,” said Marc Chappuis, prefect of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, to BFMTV. 

“We are obliged to do this because…we are very concerned by the high [offence numbers],” he added. 

Departments and regions across France are taking similar measures, as the number of fatal accidents caused by drug and alcohol abuse are on the rise. 

This includes the Dordogne department in the south-west, as well as in Brittany in the north.

Read more: Why police checks on drivers in France are increasing

Our article here explains what you should do if pulled over by a police officer for a roadside check.