France has finally acted to stem the slaughter on its highways. More than 8,000 people were killed in road accidents in France in 2001, the worst record in Europe. President Jacques Chirac reacted on Bastille Day a year ago, when he made road safety one of three top priorities for his five-year term, writes Lara Marlowe in Paris.
A hard-hitting publicity campaign and greater vigilance by police have yielded impressive results. Between July 2002 and June 2003, road fatalities fell 18.1 per cent to 6,350 deaths. That is still high, but it signifies that 1,405 lives were saved compared to the same period for the previous year.
Injuries from road accidents have also decreased dramatically, with 121,915 people hurt - 25,215 fewer (a drop of 17.1 per cent) than during the 2001-2002 period.
French authorities say they will not let their guard down. The Prime Minister, Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin, made a public appeal for caution on the highways before the summer holidays started.
The summer months, with their mass migration to the coastline, are always the most dangerous time on French roads. Speed, the leading cause of accidents here, remains "public enemy number one", Mr Raffarin said.
Announcing the results on July 9th, the Transport Minister Mr Gilles de Robien said: "For the last 12 months, our main form of mobilisation was to increase road checks. The number of alcohol tests rose 31.2 per cent and the number of speeding tickets by 31.5 per cent."
A study carried out by the Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône company in the spring proved that French people have slowed down since 1999. Highway toll booths were able to calculate the average speed of a journey from customers' toll chits. The study involving 30,619 motorists showed that 89 per cent drove at below the speed limit of 130 kmph. In a similar survey three years ago, only 69 per cent obeyed the speed limit. And those who continue to violate regulations do so less flagrantly; the number driving at over 140 kmph dropped from 13 per cent to 4 per cent.
Irresponsible driving - called "road deliquency" by the Interior Minister Mr Nicolas Sarkozy - is increasingly portrayed, and punished, as criminal behaviour. A new law "strengthening the struggle against road violence" came into effect on June 13th.
Punishment for harming or killing someone through sloppy driving can now result in five years imprisonment and up to €75,000 in fines.
The penalty is doubled to 10 years and €150,000 if two of the following conditions apply: driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, without a licence, at more than 50 kmph above the speed limit;
leaving the site of an accident.
Judges may sentence driving offenders to community service. The law specifies that, if possible, this should take place in an establishment that cares for the victims of traffic accidents.
The government is giving itself more means to pursue delinquent drivers. One hundred automatic radars are to be installed across France before the end of this year, 1,000 by 2006. The technology makes it possible to record excess speed, tail-gating, the failure to make a full stop at signs, and running red lights. Traffic tickets and fines will be posted automatically to the owner of the vehicle.
Most offences will bring a €135 fine, and points will be subtracted from the owner's driving licence.
French driving permits are to be issued for 10-year renewable periods, instead of for life, as before. A medical certificate will now be required of first-time applicants. Drivers over the age of 75 will have to undergo a medical exam every two years, to test their vision and attention span.