The department of Puy de Dome backs out of the speed limit.
The Departmental Council voted in early July, the return of 90 km / h on the roads of the department from Monday August 1st. In 2018, however, the government decided to limit the speed to 80 km / h on part of the secondary network. But for two years the rule has been relaxed, thehe departments have the possibility to return to 90 km/h.
Nearly half of the French departments concerned
On August 1, 42 departments went back to 90 km / h, after the lowering of the speed limit to 80 km / h at the national level. Thus, almost half of the departments of France have decided to set their own rules in relation to the speed limit.
These departments are mostly predominantly rural and have a low population density. But this only represents a little more than 33,000 kilometers of roads in total, out of the more than 400,000 kilometers initially targeted by the limitation to 80 km / h.
Differences from one department to another
Large differences are observable from one department to another. In the Haut-Rhin, for example, the speed was only raised over 22 km, while in the Allier, 5,284 kilometers returned to 90 km / h, or 100% of the departmental road network.
In Charente, 500 kilometers of roads have been reduced to a 90 km/h limit, representing only 10% of departmental roads.
The conditions to return to 90 km/h
The 2019 mobility orientation law therefore offered the departments the possibility of derogating from the 80 km/h limit. It is up to the county council to take a “reasoned decree”. He must present an accident study which is examined by the departmental road safety commission. This commission then issues an advisory opinion on each of the road sections concerned. In other words, the department can follow this opinion or not, it is not legally obliged to follow it.
And this opinion taken by the departmental commission does not prevent litigation. In the Hérault, justice canceled the return to 90 km / h insofar as the court considered that the department did not sufficiently specify the reasons for this speed increase.
The impact on road safety
A report was submitted to Parliament in 2021. The effects of the return to 90 km/h on road mortality are not yet observable according to this report, preventing it from taking stock, especially since the year 2020 saw declining traffic figures, due to the health crisis.
According to Road Safety, the switch to 80 km / h had saved 349 lives over 20 months and made 700 million euros in savings per year. (reduction of accidents, lower fuel consumption). Figures, however, disputed by associations of motorists.