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Should we create an offense of road homicide for accidents caused by alcohol or drugs? Faced with the recent series of fatal accidents, Elisabeth Borne confirmed that she was thinking about it.
The debate has resurfaced after a series of recent accidents, such as the one which caused the death of a six-year-old girl in Trappes (Yvelines). The driver tested positive for cannabis. Should there be a crime of road homicide? Some French are in favor of it. “As long as the person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they are not supposed to drive“, assures a man. Elisabeth Borne promised to study the question during an interministerial committee in July.
Non-dissuasive sanctions
For the moment, drivers responsible for fatal accidents are punished with a fine of 75,000 euros and up to 5 years in prison. If there is an aggravating circumstance, such as taking alcohol or narcotics, he risks up to 10 years in prison and a 100,000 fine. “The sentences currently handed down by the courts are objectively insufficient. They are well below the maximum sentences. They are not dissuasive“, says Jean-Yves Lamant, president of the League against road violence.
One of the questions is to remove the notion of “manslaughter”. In 2022, more than 3,500 people died on French roads.
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