Driving accidents

Why do people in France say they are Sam when they are called Jacques?

A TV campaign to curb drink-driving led to people calling themselves Sam on a Saturday night

End of car insurance stickers in France: what happens in an accident?

Accident forms still require information from green vignettes

Drivers crash after teens drop concrete blocks onto French motorway

The four accused perpetrators have now appeared in court

Big rise in road deaths year-on-year in September 2023 in France

Almost 300 people were killed in accidents with a significant rise in the number of driver fatalities

Older drivers in France will not have to sit medical, says minister

France is opposed to a ‘licence expiry date’, he said but one accident victim has called his position ‘appalling’

Is it true that older drivers must put an S sticker on cars in France?

If required it is possible to buy such markers online and display them on your car

Do you need to speak French to do a road awareness course?

The requirement to undertake a course resulted from a driving incident

French MP wants debate on ‘fit-to-drive’ medicals for over 75s

The draft bill proposing medicals every five years has been called profoundly unfair by a drivers’ group

French motorway deaths: woman, 40 ‘probably on family holiday from UK’

Prefecture issues general safety warnings for drivers in holiday traffic

Alcohol, drugs and technology blamed as French motorway deaths rise

Fatalities on French toll motorways rose to 188 last year

Speeding fines, older drivers: Five ways driving in France will change

The changes come after deadly, high-profile car crashes in France this year

Drivers in France ‘strongly advised’ to avoid dashboard cameras

A high-profile legal case recently showed how useful dashcams can be, but French regulations are unclear over whether they can be used as evidence

Judges do consider dashcam evidence, says top French motoring lawyer

The avocat’s comments come despite France’s official data use agency ‘strongly advising’ against the use of the gadgets

Black boxes now in all new cars in France; what data do they collect?

These devices can be used to help explain what happened in the case of an accident

What should you do if you collide with a wild animal when driving?

IF YOU run down an animal such as a wild boar or a deer there are procedures to be respected, especially if you want your insurance to pay up for damage to the car.

How to obtain advice after a car accident injury in France?

Victim support groups or a lawyer who specialises in accidents and compensation are best for advice following a car accident injury in France

What are rules should I hit a deer or boar while driving in France?

There are certain steps that drivers involved in such collisions should take to ensure that the road is made safe and that – if relevant – they can claim on their insurance

Has France’s driving licence points system saved lives?

Political journalist Éric Zemmour has called the points-based driving licence system a ‘useless, state racket’, but the government claims it has made roads much safer

Why road accident reduction in France is not entirely good news

Official figures published this week showed number of road accidents went down by nearly 20% between 2010 and 2019, but that European target was still way off

Nearly 30,000 people victims of uninsured drivers in France in 2020

Most uninsured drivers are men under 35 on low incomes, and can face paying sums running into millions of euros if they cause road accidents

Black boxes to be mandatory in new cars in France from 2022

The data recorders store information about driving conditions that will help police understand how accidents happen

French driver found seven times over legal alcohol limit

The 58-year-old man had drunk 12 litres of beer, a bottle of pastis, and a bottle of rosé - and did not have a licence

Driving a UK car in France: Do I need an accident form?

In The Connexion October edition, we answer a reader question: Am I required to carry an accident form in my car?

Odd sights on French roads: A 400kg bull and tractor caravan

It has been a week of strange sights on French roads, after police reported finding both a Peugeot 206 carrying a 400 kg live bull, and a German tractor pulling a caravan for hundreds of kilometres.

Coronavirus: road death toll halved during lockdown

While the number of high-speed offences and accidents increased.

Drivers using phones in France now risk losing licence

Drivers in France who use their mobile phones while driving now risk losing their driving licence for up to six months, plus fines, and points on their licence - as a long-debated law comes into force.

Drivers in France ‘should get Covid insurance refunds’

Car drivers in France should get money back on their car insurance - worth €2.2 billion - to account for the major drop in vehicle usage during Covid-19 confinement, consumer group UFC-Que Choisir has said.

Safety fears in France as number of ‘MOT tests’ falls

The number of cars in France is rising – but the number of contrôle technique (CT) tests undertaken is falling.

Slow down... for a good laugh

He has been dubbed the worst fake gendarme in France but the motorcycle ‘cop’ warning drivers to slow down in this village seems to be doing his job.

Dash cams can cut cost of insurance in France

And improve driving!

Road deaths in France up almost 10% in January

The number of people who died on the roads in France jumped by almost 10% in January this year compared to January last year, a contrast to the “historically low” numbers seen in 2019.

Driver speeding at 230kph arrested in central France

A driver doing more than 230kph in an 80kph zone - more than 150kph over the speed limit - has been stopped and arrested by gendarmerie in central France.

French drivers welcome new ‘peanut-shaped roundabout’

A new “peanut-shaped roundabout” in north-west France is proving popular among motorists, who say it is safer and easier to use than a normal roundabout or crossroads.

France had ‘historic low’ of 3,239 road deaths in 2019

There was a “historically low” number of road deaths in France in 2019, according to interior minister Christophe Castaner, as debates over safety and speed limits continue.

Car insurance in France rises to €615 yearly average

The cost of car insurance in France is on the rise, with drivers paying an average of €615 per year, as Ile-de-France is named the most expensive region, and Marseille the most expensive city overall.

Driver bills department council for speed bump damage

Traffic calming measure caused thousands of euros of damage to vehicle

French village uses dark humour signs to stop speeding

A mayor in the north of France has installed some darkly comedic additions to the usual speed limit signs on a major road in his commune, to warn speeding drivers to slow down.

Speeding French car caught after running out of petrol

A driver whose car was spotted doing 240kph in a 90kph area in southeast France and became involved in a police chase was finally caught after the vehicle ran out of petrol.

Speed is not the danger on French roads

I read with interest, and glee, that drivers who hog the middle and/or the outside autoroute lanes will be fined.

French nature group: ‘Drop motorway limit to 100kph’

Reducing speed limits by as much as 30kph on French motorways as a way to “protect the environment” and “improve public transport” would be a “winning strategy”, a French environmental group has said.

Hunting bullet shoots moving car in central France

A driver and passenger who narrowly missed being shot in the head when a hunting bullet pierced through their car in a forest in central France have made a formal complaint to local police.

French city Marseille holds uninsured vehicle record

A record one in five vehicles in the southern city of Marseille is being driven without insurance, it has emerged, just over a week after it was confirmed that speed cameras will now track uninsured vehicles.

Should a medical test be needed to drive in old age?

More than 800 people aged 65-plus, including pedestrians, died in road accidents in 2018, compared to 503 adults aged 18-24, official French government figures show.

Drivers in France no longer need breathalyser kits

Drivers in France will no longer be obliged to carry breathalysers in their vehicles at all times, as the discredited and ignored law that required it has finally been formally scrapped.

Praise due for drivers

In 1972, road deaths in France exceeded 16,500. By 2018, bearing in mind more cars on more and faster roads, the figure (dependant on which source you use) is 3,488.

Rising death toll among cyclists in France

Number of cyclist deaths on French roads has risen 2.4% a year since 2010, official figures reveal

French e-scooter users ‘must be licensed and insured’

Electric scooters ( trottinettes ) in France should have licence plates, require driver insurance, and must require the real name and details of anyone hiring them, a victims’ campaigning association has said.

French driver who lost trailer only notices 90km later

A driver who lost a trailer carrying three motorbikes on a French motorway did not realise it had come unhitched, until the gendarmerie alerted them a further 90km down the road.

French cars can now be fined in Ireland and Sweden

Drivers with French licence plates on their vehicle now risk a fine at home if they are caught speeding in two more countries - Ireland and Sweden - in addition to the 18 other nations already on the list.

Map of France shows roads changing speed back to 90kph

A map of departments in France that could change the speed limit from 80 kph to 90 kph on certain roads has been published, with the Haute-Marne (Grand-Est) the first to make the leap.

Drivers in France warned over phone use while driving

Drivers in France are being warned over using their mobile phone while driving, with rising numbers of motorway accidents being linked to illegal mobile use while on the road.

Beware the dangers of automatic car washes

On a recent trip to France, we decided to put our car through an automatic car wash at a supermarket in Brittany, close to our second home.

Drivers using phones in France may risk losing licence

Drivers in France who are caught using their mobile device while driving could soon face losing their licence with immediate effect.

France rules out health checks on older drivers

Drivers over the age of 75 in France will not be required to have a medical exam in order to keep their driver’s licence, in contrast to some other Europe countries, it has been confirmed.

Roads in France on traffic alert as holidays begin

Roads across France - especially towards the south and the coasts - will be especially busy this weekend as severe traffic alerts are issued due to the start of the summer holiday season.

‘Safety issues’ for 25,000 bridges in France

At least 25,000 bridges in France have “safety issues”, a new report from senators has found, less than a year after the Morandi bridge collapse disaster in Genoa, Italy.

France votes potential return to 90 kph on some roads

The French Assembly has voted in favour of potentially reversing the 80 kph speed limit drop from 90 kph on some departmental roads, almost a year after the controversial measure was introduced.

Paris tourist bus driver intentionally runs over man

The driver of a tourist bus in Paris is suspected of intentionally running over and killing a car driver after an argument, as tourists were still sitting inside the bus.

Game of drones on France's autoroutes

Police issue a fine every two minutes during two-hour drone operation at an accident blackspot

French court rules margin of error for drink-driving

A margin of error must be taken into consideration in all drink-driving cases, a court in France has ruled.

EU vehicles could soon have accident ‘black boxes’

All new vehicles in the European Union could soon be equipped with “black boxes” that record journey data that could be used in the event of an accident, in the same style as aeroplane flight recorders.

France speed camera damage ‘cost €660m and death rise’

The destruction of speed cameras across France has cost the State €660 million from 2018 to 2019, and may also been linked to a 17% rise in road deaths to February 2019, official figures show.

Safety, not speed, is key

Re: articles on the 80kph new speed limits... how many accidents have been caused by vehicles driving too close to the one in front?

Drivers risk €35 fine at new pedestrian buffer zones

Drivers in France now face a €35 fine if their vehicle strays into new “buffer zones” in front of pedestrian road crossings, which may now be introduced by local mayors.

Doubt over French PM claim that 80kph saved 116 lives

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has claimed that 116 lives have been saved on the roads since the introduction of the 80 kph speed limit in July 2018; but that figure has already been questioned.

Storm Gabriel: Snow and wind alerts across France

Forecaster Météo France has placed 41 departments on orange alert, with Storm Gabriel set to bring snow and ice across much of the north and centre of France, and winds of up to 130 kph in the west.

French minister: 80kph could revert back to 90kph

The 80kph speed limit in France could be changed back to 90kph if studies show that lowering the limit has not been effective in making roads safer, the government has said again.

Father calls again for older driver medicals

An angry father has demanded a government rethink on medical tests for older drivers after his daughter lost a leg in an accident with a 92-year-old.

Investigation begins into death of Gilets Jaunes woman

An investigation into the death of a female Gilets Jaunes protester in the Savoie on Saturday (November 17) has shown that the driver responsible “voluntarily restarted” her car ahead of the fatal incident.

Gilets Jaunes: One woman dead as protests continue

A woman has died after almost 300,000 people took part in the “Gilets Jaunes” fuel protests at over 2,000 blockade sites across France yesterday (Saturday November 17).

Google Maps may soon offer speed camera info in France

Speed cameras and road accidents could soon become alerts on Google Maps in France, potentially helping drivers who use the online service for GPS navigation on the country’s roads.

May motorbikes ‘weave in and out’ of traffic?

Is it legal for motorbikes or scooters to weave in and out of traffic? I am told it is only ‘tolerated’ and in the case of an accident the insurance firm may not pay out. I.S.

France decrees new laws on pedestrian and road safety

A range of new measures to improve road and pedestrian safety in France have now come into law after their publication in the Journal Officiel this week.

New speed limit cut just doesn’t add up

I have just read the July edition of Connexion , where there is comment about the reduction of the speed limit on ordinary roads outside town from 90kph to 80kph.