Road safety – Highways at 150 km-h soon? –

Posted on by admin

Soon highways at 150 km / h ?

Road safety - Highways at 150 km-h soon? -

Stupor in the world of road safety: the National Assembly’s Law Commission adopts an amendment proposing to limit highways to 150 km / h instead of 130. Bluff? Update on the various amendments.

An amendment proposing to raise the maximum speed on the motorway to 150 km / h instead of 130, tabled by the UMP deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes and former motorcycle rider Christian Estrosi and supported by the UMP deputy of Vaucluse Thierry Mariani, has just been adopted by the National Assembly Law Commission.

This amendment provides that "vehicle speed, outside built-up areas, is limited to 150 km / h on highways with at least three lanes, 130 km / h on other highways, 110 km / h on all four lanes and 90 km / h on the roads".

After explaining that the speed limit rules should "take into consideration the improvement of the quality of the road network and the strengthening of vehicle safety", Christian Estrosi, 750 cc French champion in 1977, added that"European countries like Germany did not have speed limits on some of their highways without, however, having bad results in terms of road safety".

Despite the objections of the rapporteur Richard Dell’Agnola, UMP deputy of Val-de-Marne, who judges this proposal "totally contrary to the spirit of the reform ", The committee adopted the amendment…

Big bluff aimed at reducing the security aspects of the bill? The amendment must now be approved by Parliament and it is likely to be nullified by supporters of the anti-speed creed when the bill is considered by the National Assembly on March 19….

"This arrangement surprised everyone", already explained to Parisian Richard Dell’Agnola: "This is a very bad signal to give to the French as the number of road deaths begins to drop. I think Christian Estrosi’s past as a pilot made him lose his sense of reality"…

The Commission also rejected two other amendment by Christian Estrosi: one requiring heavy goods vehicles in the overtaking phase to drive at least 20 km / h faster than the vehicle being overtaken (without exceeding the maximum speed of 90 km / h). h) and the other punishing with a fine drivers traveling at less than 80 km / h on the left lane of highways.

On this last point, the rapporteur noted that part of these provisions were already satisfied by article R. 413-19 of the highway code. In this case, it is a great pity that it is not applied !

Automation of sanctions
Socialist deputy for Aisne Rene Dosière – who according to our information will very soon "resign" from his post of president of the National Road Safety Council – has tabled an amendment providing that an offender appealing against a fine lump sum "is not required, if insolvent, to deposit in advance an amount equal to that of the fine". In support of the amendment, the Socialist deputy for Charente Jerôme Lambert denounced the character"socially inequitable provision of the bill which conditions the exercise of a fundamental right of defense to the possession of a sum of money". But the rapporteur considering that the maximum amount of the deposit (375 euros!)"is a small amount for an automobile owner"(!!), the Commission rejected the amendment. (On this subject, the new inter-ministerial delegate for road safety).

Compulsory medical check-up
The Commission rejected an amendment by UMP deputy from the North Christian Vanneste making a medical check for fitness to drive compulsory every five years after obtaining the license. On the other hand, it adopted the one proposed by Christian Estrosi and approved by Rene Dosière establishing a "compulsory medical examination prior to the issuance of a driving license and then renewed every ten years, the periodicity being three years for people over 70 years old".

Probationary license and training
The Commission adopted a rapporteur’s amendment reducing the probationary period for novice drivers to two years when they have benefited from accompanied driving. But she rejected that of the UMP deputy of Rhône Georges Fenech subordinating the validity of the driving license to the completion of a compulsory training course every twelve years: the rapporteur considered that this device "extremely severe called into question the very principle of the points license".

First aid
The Commission adopted an amendment by UMP deputy from the North Patrick Delnatte making it compulsory for candidates for a driving license to acquire the concepts of first aid. Its author indicated that such training already existed in other European countries, such as Germany or Switzerland, and that it improved accident prevention by making drivers aware of the possible consequences of their behavior. Approving this amendment, Jerôme Lambert also wished that candidates also benefit from information on organ donation..

Reduced rate VAT
The Commission rejected two amendments aimed at making the acquisition of vehicle safety equipment and training expenditure subject to the reduced rate of VAT.

Daytime running lights on
The Commission finally rejected an amendment by Christian Estrosi – who no longer rides a motorbike at all – aimed at obliging all vehicles to drive with their dipped beam headlights on during the day. The rapporteur opposed it because "the experiments carried out so far have not had convincing results in terms of road safety"and because"the extension to all vehicles of an obligation now limited to two-wheelers is contested by motorcyclists".

Eric MICHEL

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *