Par
Delphine Decourcelle
Published on
Nov. 25, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
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They recently appeared on the RD1113 in Saint-Pierre d'Aurillac (Gironde) and are already getting a lot of attention! The municipality has in fact installed two unusual tricolor lights called 'reward' lights which turn green if you respect the speed limited to 30 km/h in the village.
“This equipment is part of an overall road prevention program in the town which will cost a total of €130,000” indicates the mayor, Stéphane Denoyelle. “Already €50,000 has been committed for 2024 and the rest will be made in 2025. Subsidy requests are in progress,” he adds.
“Soothe and secure the crossing of the town”
These measures aim to “calm and secure the crossing of the town”. According to the study carried out as part of these developments, “ vehicles (around 8,500 per day) drive on this section on the section of approximately 2 km, at an average speed of 44 km/h (for traffic limited to 30 km/h) and more than 80% are speedingpart of which goes very quickly” explains the mayor.
“These are not alarming numbers, but still. Especially since last year, a young person getting out of the bus was knocked down by a car. He escaped with a fracture, but it could have been more serious,” notes the chief magistrate.
How do the 'reward' traffic lights work?
The purpose of 'reward' traffic lights is to regulate vehicle speed and improve the safety of road users. In the absence of a car, these lights are preset to red. In Saint-Pierre d'Aurillac, a poster indicates near the light in question, “if speed respected, green light”. This concerns motorists who scrupulously respect the speed, because despite this effort, sometimes the light remains, or suddenly turns red. So why, and how does it work? The light detects the speed of vehicles from the sign placed a few meters before, signaling the limited speed: “you must therefore immediately be at the right speed from the sign, and not only when arriving near the light”, indicates the mayor. And as soon as the imposed speed limit is not respected by one or more vehicles on this section, the “reward” traffic light remains or turns red; the driver(s) must thus mark the stop, until it turns green. “So it sometimes happens that: you respect the speed when arriving at the light, but if the person following you arrives too quickly from the sign, the light will not turn green,” specifies the mayor of the town. And a driver who runs the red light incurs a fine provided for fourth class contraventions (€135) as well as a withdrawal of 4 points from the driving license, in accordance with article R412-30 of the Highway Code.
“Even if you are driving at a relatively low speed – like 40 km/h – the danger is present and I understand the feeling of insecurity what can an elderly person, or even anyone, experience who is in front of the pedestrian crossing – especially the fifty young people per day – and who is brushed by a heavy goods vehicle” recognizes the mayor.
“The fruit of long labor”
“This problem of excessively rapid traffic is not unique to Saint-Pierre d'Aurillac,” specifies the mayor. Many neighboring communities are also suffering. For our part, these developments are the result of long work, in consultation with the Department (on which RD1113 depends, Editor's note) and installed under management, by our technical services. »
According to a study which had to be carried out a year and a half ago, “a very ambitious amount of work amounted to around 2 million euros, including, among other things: signage elements and fairly heavy work on the roadway (lane narrowing, sidewalk widening, raised platforms, etc.). »
“Not enough controls on heavy goods vehicles circulating in the town”
The mayor of Saint-Pierre d'Aurillac deplores too much heavy goods vehicle traffic in the town. “Only those for local service are authorized to pass, but in the majority, very few respect this regulation which is to take the highway,” he points out. “It’s problematic and it accentuates the feeling of insecurity among road users,” he admits. “But I do not have the power to ask the gendarmerie to carry out checks, because it is a decree dictated by the prefecture,” he explains. “Since I have been mayor (2014), I have never seen control of this type in the municipality,” he laments.
“The State responded favorably to our request for subsidies, but the Department was not really able to provide support. Under these conditions, the municipality was not able to assume this significant cost, explains the mayor. We therefore finally opted for some improvements within a reasonable budget, to better secure the town and improve the living comfort of residents ».
Brighter signage
Because even if “alternatives exist for parents to drop off their children at school, there are still many who cross the 1113,” he notes. And motorists “still have difficulty understanding that it is necessary slow down as soon as you enter the town; because of the long straight, they tend not to brake.”
This is why the municipality has invested in new signs and three educational radars, “for brighter and therefore more dynamic signalingparticularly around pedestrian crossings.
“We focused on education and it works rather well: the vast majority of motorists demonstrate citizenship,” points out Stéphane Denoyelle. “These new features have caused a lot of discussion, but a huge number of residents are very satisfied. It is perhaps those from the neighboring villages, who pass on this section as part of their commute to work, who are less convinced, but the majority of them still respect the limitations,” he specifies.
Controls and verbalization
Some, on the other hand, burn fires daily. “Everyone wants things to slow down when cars pass in front of their homes, but we have difficulty slowing down for the safety and peace of mind of everyone,” notes the municipality.
She therefore contacted the gendarmerie, “which was very responsive and several people were fined. To save a few seconds, it's a real shame and the game is not really worth it,” recalls the chief magistrate. A more complete assessment is planned with a study in December.
“Overall, traffic has calmed down”assures the mayor. “At the most accident-prone place – at the level of the road which goes up to the station – insertion and exit on the 1113 are now much safer. »
Other developments to come
Efforts will continue between now and next summer, with the installation of two raised trayswhich will be carried out to the standards predefined by the Department (distances, slopes, locations).
“The quotes have been made,” announces the town hall. “We would have liked to avoid these additional arrangements, particularly in relation to noise pollution explains the mayor, but insecurity remains due to a minority who re-ax after the passage of the so-called reward lights.
Also, near the bus stop, on the pedestrian crossing, a so-called 'refuge' arrangement will soon be installed and highlighted with light signage, to reduce road traffic and allow crossing the road in two stages.
A light panel will also be placed in the town center, in front of the town hall, “to disseminate institutional and associative communication, but alsoroad safety messages», Indicates the mayor.
An initiative that could make small
And to add: “I am a taxi driver by profession and I do Langon-Mongauzy every day. By scrupulously respecting the speeds, come on, I lose maybe 5 minutes at maximum, and in the town of Saint-Pierre d'Aurillac, only a few seconds. What does this represent, when we know that the we can avoid a tragedy and offer a little comfort of life to residents, while encouraging passing motorists (80% of customers, according to the mayor) to park, to do your shopping in the town's shopsin complete safety? », asks Stéphane Denoyelle.
“On an axis as important as the 1113, we are the first municipality to install this type of development, in particular the 'reward' lights which are a bit of a big novelty – we see them especially in the Landes and in Spain -, but we won't be the only ones for long,other mayors of South Gironde have already inquired.Our approach risks making a few small…” he warns!
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