Changing Speed Limits

[Deimos]

Does anybody have any idea how new speed limits are set in France (who changes them and who influences them).

I'm not doing the "I want traffic to slow down" past my house, but rather there have now been two pretty serious accidents on a bend close to my house (within a few months of each other). First one (two cars hitting head-on) - none of the police/pompiers/medics understood how anybody survived. Second one - nobody did survive. Officials attending in both cases were saying "its the speed" - but that was just their opinions and an "easy comment to make".

Local mairies are aware of both accidents (as they both had to turn-out to the latest one as there was a death and there are some aspects that they then take responsibility for).

I don't want to go running around telling the world to impose speed limits, but wonder if the Mairies instigate such things, or the police or who.

Ian

[Sunday Driver]

Amendments to the "national" speed limits are authorised by the prefect in consultation with the commission départementale de la sécurité routière. Either the local maire or the police would normally submit their recommendations for any reduction in speed or additional warning signs to the prefect.

 

 

[Deimos]

Many thanks. I'll keep well out of it then. Certainly representative of one of the Mairies was well aware of the previous accident (he made reference to it whilst we were talking) and he also made a "its the speed" comment. Other side Mairie only turned-up briefly rather late (but accident was not in his commune - though guy involved lived there). The Mairie that seems most switched-on was the one who ended-up doing all the work and is more likely to do something.

Just don't want more serious accidents.

Ian

[Clair]

I keep up to date with the conseil municipal meetings via the procès -verbal which has to be affixed on the notice boards outisde the Mairie after each meeting.

I have noticed that on a few occasions, under the "other business" equivalent, the maire has notified the council of letters sent by local people about speeding in the village or on certain sections of road.

As a local, that might be the way of making your concern known and going on record for drawing official attention to it.

[Deimos]

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I think for the moment I'll say nothing. Its the speed limit rather than cars speeding. The representative of one Mairie who attended (was obliged to attend) made comments about speed being the "issue" in both cases and its a very small commune. The Mare from the other commune attended himself (I think the gendarmes dragged him out either because the were unsure of commune boundaries or because the guy lived in his commune). Thus, they both know about it and both talk to each other. I've got to see them within the next few months anyway so might mention something.

I think they will probably want to instigate something if its appropriate (the communes are only 750 people each so things like this are major).

What I do find strange is what must be the equivalent of "rubber necking" from the UK. I've been working outside today and the number of cars that stop, people get out and search around (the smashed-up vehicle was taken away straight after the accident). Obviously word gets round very quickly and everybody comes out to look around and see what happened. some cars just stop then drive on. Others stop and everybody gets-out and searches around (5 or 10 minutes) then they drive off. Must have been at least 10 cars stopping and getting out to search around, and more just stopping then driving on. There is actually nothing to see as it was all cleared-up last night so its a real "rubber-necking" type of thing.

Ian

[Btuckey]

[quote user="Deimos"] 

Others stop and everybody gets-out and searches around (5 or 10 minutes) then they drive off. Must have been at least 10 cars stopping and getting out to search around, and more just stopping then driving on. [/quote]

They’re probably hoping to pick up some spare parts!

Brian