In 2018, the government decided to lower the speed to 80 km/h on departmental roads.
Since then, 50 departments have reversed course.
Between protecting motorists and road safety, the debate remains current.
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The 8 p.m.
80 or 90 km/h? On departmental roads, many motorists are a little lost. In 2018, all of France was affected by the reduction in speed. But, faced with the outcry caused by this measure, certain departments obtained the right to return to the original speed, as shown in the TF1 news video at the top of this article.
A real impact on accidentology?
This is the case in Puy-de-Dôme, where, for two years, 80 km/h have become nothing more than a distant memory. However, the number of deaths has fallen. Despite this, Jean-Baptiste Artaud, correspondent for the League Against Road Violence, criticizes this decision: “We know that overall, the more speed there is, the more accidents increase, the more mortality will increase and the injuries will be serious. So by reducing the speed, we will reduce the severity of the injuries.”
The neighboring department of Allier has also opted to return to 90 km/h. Among motorists, this is unanimous: “I find that completely logical because 80 km/h in the countryside doesn’t make much sense”testifies one of them at the microphone of TF1. However, a truck driver points out a problem: “We do several departments. But between each department, it changes a little, between 80 or 90 km/h.”
To compensate for this increase in speed, the departmental council preferred the creation of new zones limited this time to 70 km/h. These are the most dangerous sections which are concerned, with the addition of the installation of educational radars warning drivers driving too fast. The number of road deaths has increased slightly but speed is not necessarily the only reason: “Speed is an aggravating factor but it is not necessarily the primary cause of this deadly accident. For us, unfortunately it is often alcohol. And there will remain the problem of very high speeds, of individual behavior which, anyway, whatever the limitation, do anything”explains Claude Riboulet, president (UDI) of the department.
Eure joins the movement
In the 50 departments that have completely or partially returned to 90 km/h across France, 44 additional road deaths were recorded between 2019 and 2023, an increase of 4%. A figure that doesn’t mean much according to Alexandra Legendre, head of the studies and communications department at the Drivers’ Defense League: “You don’t know the reason for the accidents involved. When you have an accident with four young people leaving a club at four in the morning, with alcohol in their blood, you cannot equate that with degradation or speed increase. This is not possible.”
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Between supporters and opponents of the return of 90 km/h, the debate, launched in July 2018 by Édouard Philippe, then Prime Minister, continues. Next on the list, Eure announced at the end of October that its roads would all return to 90 km/h from January 2026.
