Description:

The French government has announced it will remove the road-signs that warn drivers of an approaching speed camera, as one of a number of measures aimed at improving road safety.

Ministers took the decision this morning, at a specially arranged inter-ministerial committee meeting on road safety.  Amongst other measures:

• Drivers caught doing more than 50km/h over the speed limit will be punished through the courts
• Drivers caught drink driving with more than 0.8g of alcohol in their blood, will receive an eight point penalty, rather than the six currently in force
• Drivers caught using a telephone at the wheel will receive a three point penalty rather than two.
• Those caught driving with a screen operating in the field of view of the driver will get a hefty increase in fine from 135€ to 1500€, as well as three points taken away, with the possibility of their equipment also being seized.

On motorways, those caught driving on the hard shoulder will now receive a fixed penalty of 135€ and a three point penalty, and rumble-strips will be rolled out to all motorways as a safety measure, as and when they are upgraded.

The French government also has plans to roll-out 1000 new fixed speed cameras across the country between now and the end of 2012, whilst a trial of a new radar system will start next month using unmarked vehicles carrying equipment that can monitor the speed of a number of vehicles at the same time.  The radars are not detectable by radar detection equipment.

The changes will come into force immediately, and the prime minister has ordered that the new measures are fully in force for the long holiday weekend in June.  The government has acted on the back of a sharp increase in the number of deaths on French roads in 2011, with an increase of 10% since the turn of the year, and an increase of 20% in April.

You can see the government communication by clicking here (French only).

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