More fear than harm, but the accident that occurred during the night from Wednesday to Thursday could have been dramatic. At 3:45 a.m., on the A 13 motorway in the Paris-province direction, near Flins (Yvelines), a heavy goods vehicle collided with a SAPN trailer. The driver of the truck was slightly injured. Traffic was restricted while emergency services and highway officials intervened.
This is the second time this month that SAPN vehicles have been victims of accidents. A patrol van had already been struck on October 4 on the same A13 near Cricqueboeuf (Calvados), while it was parked on the emergency lane to protect a broken down vehicle.
“On French motorways, workers are victims of an average of 3 accidents each week. Most could be avoided if the safety corridor rule was respected,” recalls Sanef (main shareholder of SAPN), which launched an awareness campaign on this theme during the All Saints holidays via posters on rest areas, on social networks and on the 107.7 antenna.
A rule that is often overlooked, yet included in the highway code since 2018. The safety corridor provides for the obligation for all drivers to slow down and shift or even change lanes if possible when approaching a vehicle stopped in the emergency lane, so as to avoid any collision. “By respecting the safety corridor, many accidents could be avoided,” assures Sanef.
Last year, this dealership reported 36 accidents involving its staff, including one death and 4 injuries on its network. As of October 10, 2024, it had already recorded 41 accidents, five more than in the entire year 2023. On French motorways, nearly 3 out of 4 accidents occur on the right part of the roadway: on the lane of right (50%) and on the emergency lane (23%).
