In Calvados, a road check with an alternative to prosecution on the RN 158

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Thursday November 14, 2024, a traffic control with alternative to prosecution on the RN 158 at the rest area of Soulangyin the Caen-Falaise direction, took place for a good two hours at the end of the morning.

The offenses falling within the alternative concerned non-compliance with the speed limit (< 30 km/h compared to the authorized speed) and non-compliance with the safety corridor.

It is a prevention activity in coordination with the roads department, the Calvados prefecture and the Calvados gendarmerie. Captain Pierre Hopquin, commander of the departmental road safety squadron.

A measure included in the highway code

» We mainly raise awareness about the safety corridor. This is a traffic violation and constitutes moving to the left when you have people parked in the hard shoulder.

This could be work zones, users broken down or in difficulty. In the event of inattention or bad driving, this helps avoid hitting the officers’ vehicle or taking someone’s life.”

The gendarmes were deployed at the level of the road management truck which intervened, to observe whether or not the safety corridor was respected. Motorists arrested were invited to come and park at the rest area.

We offer them an alternative to prosecution by carrying out prevention workshops so that they are not fined. We are 100% successful with people who have chosen road safety and taken 15 minutes of their time.” Pierre Hopquin.

» The workshops focus on the safety corridor, respecting excessive speed limits, between braking and reaction distances, a workshop on alcohol consumption and a 3D driving simulator which allows you to immerse yourself behind the wheel of a a vehicle virtually and face an unexpected accident on the road, perhaps an animal crossing or a balloon bursting.”

Returning to the safety corridor, Pierre Hopquin affirms that “this measure is included in the highway code. Previously, it was simply good citizenship to move out of the way. Young drivers see this in the highway code. The oldest and most experienced did not see it and learn it like that.

In addition to drivers, passengers are invited to follow prevention. This action allows us to reach out to other people, via other media such as networks, who would not be on the road today. “It’s a common sense measure to move out of the way when there are people on the emergency lane and to avoid an accident.”

The fight against road violence and insecurity is a priority. Despite the strong mobilization of law enforcement and the multiplication of preventive actions initiated by the State, communities and the associative network, the number of deaths on the roads remains too high, in particular because of the persistence of irresponsible and at risk (excessive speed, consumption of alcohol or drugs, use of cell phones, etc.).

29 dead, 580 injured since the start of the year

Since the start of the year, 29 people have been killed and 580 injured on the various road networks in the Calvados department (Editor's note: as of November 10, 2024). Many reckless actions also put the lives of road officials at risk and it is essential to educate users about respecting the safety corridor rule.

At the national level, there are around 120 accidents per year between users and road officials, causing several dozen injuries and several deaths. On the roads of the North West, from 2014 to 2023, there were 104 accidents recorded in construction or intervention zones (i.e. a little more than 10 per year) resulting in 17 injured officers, including 6 serious and 2 deaths.

In 2024 as of November 1, 14 accidents have already been recorded. The main causes are inattention (hypovigilance, distractors) and alcohol.

In order to prevent this behavior and use education in the face of reckless drivers, the Calvados prefecture, the prosecutor's office of the Caen judicial court, the Calvados departmental road safety squadron and the interdepartmental direction of North-West roads therefore organized an operation 'span.

For Pascal Biard, responsible for road safety in Calvados with the prefect, “it is a good operation, a useful operation. It has to become part of our morals that when a van approaches, we move aside and we preserve the lives of the people on the road who put themselves in danger every day for us.

There was one person who told me they hadn't seen the truck. Driving is not an accessory activity, it is a main activity because we have our lives at stake and those of others. It is my role at the prefecture to carry out this type of prevention.”

Sensitive motorists

Motorists were sensitive to this operation. They could avoid the fine and the withdrawal of points by participating in the workshops.

Education is more important than repression. Repression is necessary to make the rules understood. Prevention is good too. Pascal Biard, responsible for road safety in Calvados with the prefect.

About to leave, one of the motorists confides. » When I got stopped, I thought of a speed camera even though I wasn't going 110 km/h. In reality, it was for the security corridor.

I didn't turn well to the left. We are rather used to the signage and the points to fall back on. For me, there was no danger. The workshops are very interesting because we learn things.”

Hervé Maunoury passed by the rest area. » As the main city of South Calvados, we were invited to this awareness and prevention operation, focusing in particular on the security corridor. This is a little-known rule since 80% of motorists do not move. There were 2 deaths recently in Avranches and Villers-Bocage.

Road officials take risks to maintain roads and ensure the safety of motorists. With a small, very simple gesture, I slow down and move aside, we can save lives. It’s a very positive operation in the spirit since it focuses heavily on prevention.”

The mayor of Falaise informs that next spring, probably in June, an awareness operation with a driving simulator will be set up on Place Belle-Croix.

All these preventive actions should allow us to reduce road deaths. Hervé Maunoury, mayor of Falaise.

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