On the occasion of an Interministerial Committee for Road Safety (CISR) in Matignon on Monday, the Prime Minister unveiled several measures, including the automatic suspension of the license in the event of driving under the influence of narcotics.
Stricter rules and tougher penalties. Elisabeth Borne announced new measures at the end of an Interministerial Committee for Road Safety (CISR), Monday July 17 in Matignon. Eagerly awaited by associations of road accident victims, they come in the wake of several dramas that have shocked public opinion recently, in particular the Pierre Palmade affair in February. Franceinfo takes stock of the main announcements.
The “automatic” suspension of the license in the event of driving under narcotics
The government wants to “intractable” On the question. “We will make automatic the suspension of the license in the event of driving under the influence of narcotics”, announced Elisabeth Borne, who wishes to fight against this “scourge”. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, specified that these drivers were “responsible for one in five accidents”. The prefect can for the moment decide on a license suspension, “tomorrow he will have to”, added Gerald Darmanin.
A new sanction is provided for in the event of driving under alcohol or narcotics. It provides for a withdrawal of eight license points, against six currently, said Gérald Darmanin. This is the highest penalty provided by the Highway Code.
The creation of a “road homicide”
Several associations have long pleaded for the term “manslaughter”, used when a death is caused by a motorist, to be replaced by the term “road homicide”. The change of name, which will not be accompanied by an increase in the penalties incurred, aims above all to satisfy the families of victims. “shocked by this qualification of manslaughter”explained Matignon on Sunday.
This name change is only a “cosmetic reform”estimated on Monday on franceinfo the lawyer specializing in road law Rémy Josseaume. “It will not change anything in the life of drivers who decide to drive alcoholic or under narcotics” he assured, calling for a “more general reform” with “a change in the status of the sentence and perhaps even a criminalization of certain behaviors”.
A speeding offense
Speeding more than 50 km/h above the regulations will be the subject of a serious speeding offence. Currently, the first control is only punishable by a fine and only the second offense is criminal.
Conversely, Gérald Darmanin also insisted on the need to have “proportionate, fair and acceptable penalties for minor speeding offenses”. He therefore recalled in passing the abolition, from January 1, 2024, of the withdrawal of points for speeding less than 5 km / h.
The dematerialization of the driving license
Driver’s license, points balance, vehicle insurance documents… “There will always be a physical permit”detailed Gérald Darmanin, but the government wishes to establish “a dematerialized license that you can have on your smartphone, to be able to present it to the police“. The Minister of the Interior added that from April 1, 2024, the green insurance sticker will be abolished and directly registered by the insurance companies in their files.
A medical examination in the event of “unfit to drive”
In the event of an infraction which could be related to a medical problem and to “a person’s inability to drive“, the driving license may be “suspended pending verification by a licensed physician”, announced the Prime Minister.