How fast can you drive on the roads of Lorraine? Passed into force in the summer of 2018, the measure lowering the speed of departmental roads from 90km / h to 80km / h sees a good number of departments backtracking following a strong unpopularity of the law. The choice is left to the departments, which as in the Vosges or in the Meuse have restored a 90km/h limit on some sections.
– Eric Thiebaut (PHOTOPQR/VOSGES MATIN/MAXPPP)
Moving from one department to another, the real problem
This is not the case in Meurthe-et-Moselle, where the Departmental Council remains firm on this subject, which is not to the taste of all motorists, represented by the Automobile Club Lorrain (ACL). “We think it would be good for there to be consultation between the departments, because the users are completely lost”deplores Thierry Marchal, president of the association.
It is in particular moving from one department to another which is called into question, the bad indications between the roads Meurthe-et-mosellanes, vosgiennes and meusiennes, which answer to different legislations, being able to hinder the different users of the road.
– Jean-Luc Flémal (BELPRESS/MAXPPP)
Ecological and financial benefits
A misunderstanding which has nothing to change the opinion of the Departmental Council, which considers that it has other priorities on the agenda, and which defends this measure by its ecological aspect and the financial gain that the limitation represents, estimated at 120 euros per year in fuel.
From a security point of view, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin had also defended this measure last July in an interview for Est Républicain, estimating that the reduction of 10 kilometers per hour had already saved 349 lives.
Keep odd values
For its part, the ACL is formally against zones at 80, even if it means proposing more surprising measures. “We had a proposal which was to put a limit back to 90 on the sections which did not present a major risk, and downright down to 70 instead of 80 in sectors considered accident-prone”, explains Thierry Marchal.
The president of the ACL believes that he is also fighting against the 80 in order to “keep odd values of limitationas everywhere in France, from 30 and 50 in town to 110 and 130 on the motorway”.