Sluggish violators: could legislators shell out billions to rid the roads of them?
Speed Humps Galore: A Hair-Raising Revelation About France's Illegal Road Bumps
By Justine Pérou Associate Automotive Editor on
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A shocking thunderbolt for the legions of local authorities steering our roads: a recent move by the Council of State could stir some turbulence! On March 27, France's supreme administrative court took a swipe at the legitimacy of over 400,000 speed humps scattered across the nation. Why? Because the majority of these inconvenient road bumps fail to adhere to the guidelines set in a 1994 decree (decree no. 94-447).
Your daily commute? Far from smooth sailing if you hit one of these illegal devices, putting a strain on your car's suspension and causing your neck muscles to clutch in discomfort. The unwitting culprit behind these unwelcome confrontations? Most local authorities chose to toe a different line than the 1994 decree, preferring instead to abide by a 2010 guide from the Cerema, a public institution under various ministries – including the Transition and Decentralization. This guide introduced a fresh terminology for speed humps, eliminating the "trapezoidal" category familiar to many and embracing a melting pot of names such as "Berlin cushions," "camel humps," "transverse plates," and "raised plates."
450,000 Illegal Speed Humps: The Tide Turning?
While organizations advocating for motorists expected a more decisive ruling from the Council of State, the court did pave the way for potential legal action against the officials who installed these disruptive hurdles. This bold decision increases the possibility of local authorities finding themselves in the hot seat for civil or even criminal court proceedings, in the event of a car accident.
"These devices should have no place on our roads," emphasizes Thierry Modolo, founder of the association Pour une mobilité sereine et durable (PUMSD).
The price tag for rectifying this situation? A whopping 5 to 7 billion euros – a hefty sum local authorities likely cannot absorb, leaving installing companies in the hot seat instead. MAYORS, time to ditch the DIY approach: compliance with the law is the only way to steer clear of speeding justice.
The decision by the Council of State is a hard-earned triumph for PUMSD and the League of Motorists' Defense, as it confirms that proper guidelines must be followed when installing speed humps. "No more skirting the rules," proclaims the League of Motorists' Defense.
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Keywords:- road safety- car- Council of State- slowing down- road- transport- Accident
- Justine Pérou's latest report uncovers an unexpected turn in automotive business: the Council of State's ruling on speed humps may mobilize local authorities towards legal action for their noncompliance with the 1994 decree regarding road safety.
- Amidst the sports of transactions, this decision in France's sports of governance could prove costly for installation companies, as compliance with proper speed hump guidelines may necessitate a billion-euro overhaul of the country's 400,000+ illegally installed humps, such as the controversial "Berlin cushions," "camel humps," "transverse plates," and "raised plates."
- Thierry Modolo, founder of PUMSD, applauds this rulings, emphasizing, "These disruptive devices have no place on our roads" and stating the dire need for all parties to moblize around the question of road safety, advocating for a just and lawful approach to installing speed humps to prevent future illegality and potential accidents.
