The gendarmes carried out vehicle checks this Friday, December 27 in the commune of Thuiles under the command of Major Sophie Thiery, in the presence of the sub-prefect of Barcelonnette Pierre-Henri Vray. A stream of vehicles was circulating on the eve of the school holiday weekend, heading towards the Ubayan ski resorts. “We target station arrivals, we are attentive to the identification of addictive behavior under alcohol or drugs, operations which will be repeated each holiday period. This also allows reminders of the regulations, sometimes very simple such as attaching children to the back of vehicles…” A basic pedagogy which aims to protect road users. As for compulsory equipment in the mountains from November 1 to March 30 in defined areas, their absence in vehicles is still not subject to fines but it is strongly recommended to equip your vehicle either with snow tires or to have to provision of removable anti-slip equipment such as chains or socks, as changes in weather are sometimes rapid and unexpected in the mountains. Here again, the safety of users is at stake, who will avoid accident-prone situations or blockages of traffic lanes. Out of sixty vehicles checked, the gendarmes noted two offenses for drug use and other more traditional offenses. “Despite the importance of traffic, we noted half as many violations as during the inspection the previous week,” underlines major Sophie Thiery.
