- The government plans to no longer deduct points from the driving license in the event of speeding less than 5 km / h
- This measure aims to reduce the penalties for drivers who commit minor offenses and to reduce the number of points recovery courses.
- Road safety associations are concerned about the consequences of this measure on the safety of users and on respect for speed limits
Deduct a point for 3 km/h speeding, do you find that unfair? Good news, the government plans to change this law on “minor speeding”. He announced that he was considering this measure, which would come into force on January 1, 2024. Thus, all speeding not exceeding 5 km / h over the authorized limit would no longer be subject to point deduction. The fine would remain in place. : 68 euros outside urban areas and 135 euros in urban areas.
This measure aims to reduce the penalties for drivers who commit minor offenses and to reduce the number of points recovery courses, which cost between 150 and 250 euros. According to the Ministry of the Interior, “minor speeding offenses” represent just over half of the thirteen million tickets each yearwith seven million relating to speeding between 1 and 5 km/h.
Please note, this is not the actual speed, but the selected speed, which takes into account a technical margin applied by the speed cameras. For example, on a road limited to 80 km/h, we consider that there is no excess if we drive up to 85 km/h. Beyond that, we lose a point. With the new measure, it would be necessary to drive at more than 90 km / h to be penalized with a withdrawal of points.
At the request of the President of the Republic, from January 1, 2024, there will no longer be any deduction of points for speeding less than 5 km/h. The fine of course will be maintained.
A measure of common sense for our fellow citizens.— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 19, 2023
A measure contested by the associations
Road safety associations are upwind against this measure, which they consider dangerous for the safety of users and contrary to the principle of the license points. They fear that this measure will encourage drivers to drive faster and to no longer respect speed limits, especially in town where the slightest variation can have dramatic consequences.
They remind us that speed is one of the main factors in fatal accidents on the roads and that it aggravates the importance of injuries in the event of impact. They believe that the license with points is an effective tool to empower drivers and encourage them to adopt more cautious driving and ask the government to abandon this measure and instead strengthen controls and awareness.
The debate is therefore launched between the supporters of a measure that is intended to be fairer and more flexible for motorists (but also more popular) and opponents who fear a questioning of the penalty points system and an increase in road risk. . The final decision should be made during the interministerial road safety committee scheduled for this summer.
