What's New on French roads 2021

2021 will see several changes regarding driving in France;

1) There are no new taxes on French fuels this year & as long as the pandemic continues to have an effect in France it is unlikely that the cost of diesel or petrol will return to the pre-Covid levels of €1.45/ litre. However it is also unlikely that diesel will fall to last years average low of €1.15/ litre.

2) Autoroute tolls are due to rise from 1st February by an average of 0.44%. The various autoroute operators are all raising their tolls but by various levels; Cofiroute (on the A10, A11, A19 & A71) will have the smallest increase of 0.30% whilst the largest increase of 0.65% will be charged by AREA (on the A41, A43 & A49). The popular ‘autoroute du soleil’ (A7) will increase by 0.54%.

3) Seven new urban low emission zones come into effect in the cities of Aix-Marseille, Nice, Toulon, Toulouse, Montpellier, Strasbourg and Rouenrequiring the display of Crit’Air stickers. Toulouse will also ban all pre-2005 diesels whilst Paris will ban all pre-2006 diesels. See the ‘News Blog’ article.

4) The Meuse department plan to return 1,600 kms of roads back to 90km/hr as does the Vosges (235 kms) whilst the Aveyron is also still considering the move. See the ‘News Blog’ article.

5) Shops selling alcohol are also now required to sell breathalysers alongside.

6) 1,200 new ‘Turret’ radars are planned together with 500 of its little brother, which will be used in urban areas to record speed & red light jumping.

7) 200-300 New decoy ‘Speed Camera’ signs are set to be deployed on routes where there aren’t in fact any radars.

8) 8 new regions will be using ‘unmarked’ radar cars, many of which are operated by private companies, bringing the total to 450 radar cars on French roads. See the ‘News Blog’ article.

9) From 1st November to 31st March, 48 ‘mountain’ departments will require vehicles using their roads to be fitted with either snow tyres or carry chains/ socks. See the ‘News Blog’ article.

10) 150 towns/ cities already restrict their roads to 30km/ hr & more urban areas will be following suit within their perimeters; Dinan (22), Saint-Lô (50), Pornichet (44) & Loos (59) will be doing so shortly. See the ‘News Blog’ article.

11) All vehicles over 3,500kgs will be required to display ‘blind spot’ stickers. See the previous ‘News Blog’ article.

12) One of the effects of Brexit means that from 1st January, 2021, the UK will no longer exchange driver details for offences such as speeding in France. UK drivers were the most flashed by radars in France in 2019 but any fines from now on have been suspended.