Couple disguise postbox as French speed camera to slow down cars The idea is legal as the postbox is on their private property - as long as it does not start flashing passing vehicles
New rules are killing off older cars unable to adapt in France EU safety regulations include a range of high-end technological updates that older models may not be able to satisfy
New 50km/h motorway morning speed limit is idiotic, says French mayor He criticised the rush-hour reduction saying it creates a major safety issue as some drivers slow down to keep to it and others do not Drivers crash after teens drop concrete blocks onto French motorway Man sacrifices car in heroic act in France - strangers buy him new one New cars in France must soon have camera to see if driver distracted
EU vote could allow 60 tonne mega trucks on French roads Supporters say it will help reduce CO2 emissions. If passed adaptations would need to be made including to French roundabouts
Dashcams: do French courts and insurance firms accept the images? France’s strict privacy laws mean there are restrictions on the use of the technology
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
Drivers warned about wandering cats and hedgehogs on new French signs The signs ask drivers to slow down and were the idea of a council worker who runs a shelter for stray cats and was saddened by how many are run over
Delays to book obligatory CT car checks lengthen in France A lack of trained personnel has been blamed for the backlog
Six tips for a safe and enjoyable French road trip this summer From pre-journey checks to avoiding service stations, we look at key government advice for journeys in France
Alcohol, drugs and technology blamed as French motorway deaths rise Fatalities on French toll motorways rose to 188 last year
French youth survey reveals dangers of screen addiction to road users The study said 30% of moped users had watched a TV series on their phones while riding
Road accidents in France: Five key trends from new report It includes a rise in the number of deaths from accidents on French motorways
France’s income from speed cameras hits a five-year high The devices brought in €707 million in 2022 and that figure is expected to rise again this year Motorcyclists fill potholes with Easter eggs to protest French roads How to keep track of changing speed limits on French secondary roads Speed cameras in France ‘selected for profit, not to make roads safer’
30% rise in cyclist deaths in France and countryside is worst Over the past few years much effort has been put into the cycling infrastructure in many French cities, but not in the countryside Call for urgent action after steep rise in cyclist deaths in France French road safety agency warns of danger as clocks go back France promises stricter measures on illegal urban motorbike racing New type of traffic light aims to improve cyclist safety in France Mock ‘hen’s nests’ appear in French potholes to fight for better roads
69% of drivers polled admit to using phone while driving in France The figure has prompted a warning from the road security agency and an invitation to not use phones on February 6-8
Row over plans for five new speed radars on Ile de Ré The prefect says it is justified as the 35km-long island has the highest number of fatal accidents in the Charente-Maritime. Only one camera will be in use at a time but drivers will not know which
Can I get compensation for a car accident in France? Your questions, answered: what compensation is there if an uninsured driver bumps me?
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
Has reducing the French speed limit to 80km/h saved lives? A new study says that lowering the limit has not reduced deaths in contrast to claims from the government. Several roads - or parts of them - have since returned to a 90km/h limit
New winter tyre rules take effect on some French roads from November Vehicles in 48 mountainous departments must be fitted with winter tyres or snow chains between November and March, under a law which aims to improve road safety and avoid hold-ups
Motorbike lane filtering reintroduced in 21 French departments After a blanket ‘ban’ in January, a new trial will reintroduce rules allowing motorbikes to advance past vehicles waiting in traffic queues
France tests speed cameras that also check phone and seatbelt use The new cameras will be smaller and more inconspicuous than current models and are being tested in Toulouse and areas of Doubs
French cyclist's jersey shows overtaking distance to drivers on back In 2020, some 60,000 cyclists were treated by France's emergency services following road accidents
Gendarmerie stop five tonne van overloaded with bikes in south France The van was strung with bikes and tricycles and weighed two tonnes over the legal limit. Plus - we explain how vehicle weight and cargo limits work in France
New French law will limit driving app warnings for police checks The rules target specific types of police checks for crimes such as terrorism and kidnapping, but drivers are concerned they will spread to speed checks
French Biker’s protective airbag trousers soon on sale After an accident in 2016, Xavier Bouquillard de Milleret developed an idea based on pressure-suit trousers he wore 30 years ago as a jet pilot
French police arrest man riding electric scooter at 57kph The 49-year-old also tested positive for cannabis, was wearing headphones and was not using the designated cycle lane
French 'ban' on motorbike lane filtering under review Road safety agency Securite Routiere will launch a new trial to reassess the safety of the practice following protests by bikers
Motorbike riders protest against France’s lane weaving 'ban' The practice has been definitively banned nationwide since February 1 after a trial on certain roads showed an increase in accidents
New road safety campaign for cyclists announced in France As more people use bikes as a mode of transport in France, the numbers of cycling accidents are also going up - but a new campaign is aiming to change this.
How to spot unmarked speed control cars on French roads As unmarked police cars catch drivers speeding on French roads using infrared cameras, a new site is aiming to catalogue all unmarked "radar cars" currently being used in France.
Turbocharger blamed for fatal crash on French autoroute Five children from the same family died in accident
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.
French village latest to install ‘shock’ speed limit signs A village in northeast France has become the latest to install “shock” road signs in a bid to persuade speeding road users into slowing down.
Green politician supports lowering French motorway toll fees Environmental politician Yannick Jadot has come out in support of controversial proposals to lower the French speed limit, and reduce the cost of motorway tolls as “compensation”.
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.
Unions call for lorry driver walkout over Covid-19 Lorry drivers across France are being called to exercise their right to stop working due to risk of Covid-19, but an industry boss has said “there is no shortage [of goods] to fear” as a result.
First French department confirms return to 90kph limit The Haute-Marne in eastern France has become the first department to officially change back to a 90kph speed limit on departmental roads, 18 months after the government first imposed a drop to 80kph.
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.
Roads closed and power cut as Storm Gloria hits France Roads are closed, public transport disrupted, and power supplies cut in southern France after Storm Gloria, the most intense winter “Mediterranean weather episode” since 1982, hit France last night.
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.
France offers up to €11,000 for eco-friendly vehicles Drivers in France are still eligible in 2020 to receive up to €11,000 in grants to help buy a new or second-hand “clean” vehicle to replace an older, more polluting one - under certain conditions.
Lorries confirm more fuel tax blockades across France Road transport workers and lorry drivers are planning 15 blockades across France this weekend in protest at the government’s plans to change fuel taxation laws in 2020.
Green crossings over French roads saving wildlife Construction company Vinci has spent €177million building 200 animal passages in the last decade. Jane Hanks finds out how they save wildlife
Fears for 25,000 French bridges after Mirepoix tragedy The badly damaged remnants of the collapsed suspension bridge will be dismantled
Teenager killed in bridge collapse in southwest France Two vehicles plunged into river when suspension bridge failed in Haute-Garonne
Uninsured vehicles now tracked by cameras in France Road vehicles without insurance in France will now be tracked by speed cameras, with drivers risking fines of up to €7,500 as a result.
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.
France to spend €43m to improve cycling paths France is to dedicate €43 million to create more cycling paths in 111 areas, as part of a wider project designed to encourage people to triple daily push bike use by 2024, from 3% to 9%.
Drivers are in a rut The authorities should make sure that all highway lanes are kept in tip-top condition and then we will have no excuse for not using the inside lane on motorways.
Winter tyres to be obligatory in France Winter tyres or snow chains are to be a legal requirement for many mountain roads in France from November 1 to March 31 each year.
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
Bow and arrow boar hunting prompts debate in France The decision to allow wild boars to be hunted by bow and arrow in the Vaucluse is prompting debate, with hunting experts in favour of the move, but local welfare groups launching a petition against it.
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 drivers in wrong motorway lanes risk €150 fine Drivers in France who linger in the middle or left lanes of a motorway without good reason can now be punished with a fine of up to €150.
Rural France still ‘suffers from bad public transport’ Rural areas in France are still suffering from poor public transport links, MPs have said this week as a report on the subject appears to confirm their complaints.
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.
Emergency services exempt from French motorway tolls Firefighters and police will finally no longer be charged to drive on motorways in France, almost two years after MPs voted to exempt them from payments, in October 2017.
French gendarmes rescue adventurous retiree’s tractor Gendarmes near Tours (Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire) had an unusual job this week after being called to help a retiree who was pulling a caravan on the motorway...in a farming tractor.
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.
French gendarmes stop flying unicorn on way to beach Giant inflatable blocked view out of rear window
‘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.
Man dies in first fatal scooter road crash in Paris Paris police are investigating the first ever fatal road accident involving an electric scooter in the capital after a 25-year-old man died in a collision with a van this week.
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.
France to ban electric scooters from pavements Electric foot scooters - or trottinettes - will no longer be permitted to ride on pedestrian pavements in France, ministers have confirmed, as part of a new set of laws on similar transport methods.