Will my licence be suspended if I use my phone for GPS in France?

Reader question: I use a sat nav app on my phone as I drive my motorhome around France. It is placed on a secure mount, and I do not touch the device while travelling.

Can I be fined for this? 

Multiple departments in France have been cracking down on mobile phone use while driving since May 1, introducing immediate licence suspension for drivers caught in the act.

The departments concerned are Charente-Maritime, Pas-de-Calais, Lot-et-Garonne, and Landes (which already had the measure in place).

Before May 1, if a driver was caught handling a phone, the minimum penalty was a €135 fine and the loss of three licence points.

However, from now on, in these departments, the offence can also lead to the immediate suspension of a driver’s licence, in addition to the usual fines and licence points.

The measure covers any touching, handling, or looking at a phone while driving, raising concerns about what happens if a driver needs to use GPS.

The Connexion contacted the gendarmerie in Landes, who explained that the law explicitly states that the driver must be caught holding the phone in their hand.

This means that, as long as the device is in a secure and stable mount in the vehicle, and the driver does not need to touch it, its use is allowed.

The French government’s road safety section, Sécurité Routière, also underlines that phone use is permitted when it is via a vehicle-integrated system or a device integrated into a helmet.

However, the gendarmerie said if a driver changes the destination on Google Maps or touches the phone while driving, this is considered distracting and penalties may be applied, depending on the circumstances.

Their advice is to set your route before starting your journey. If you need to make changes or handle your phone during the trip, you should pull over safely at the side of the road before doing so.