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Is your département planning to scrap France’s 80km/h speed limit?

More than 50 French départements have already said they plan to scrap the controversial 80 km/h speed limit after the French prime minister indicated that the decision would be delegated to local authorities.

Is your département planning to scrap France's 80km/h speed limit?
Photo: AFP

The lowering of the speed limit on secondary roads from 90 km/h to 80 km/h was introduced in summer 2018 and was intended as a safety measure, but rapidly proved highly unpopular.

Drivers in rural areas, where the majority of secondary routes are, saw the new limit as a way for the government to take money from them via speeding fines and the issue became one of the major complaints of the 'yellow vest' movement.

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Photo: AFP

Speed cameras became major targets for vandalism and at one time it was estimated that 80 percent of all speed cameras in the country had been vandalised.

Finally the government bowed to pressure, and last week Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that the issue would be devolved to local départements.

He told France Info: “If the presidents of departmental councils wish to assume their responsibilities, I have no problem with that.”

But he added that this was on the condition that this must be “systematically accompanied by measures” guaranteeing “the highest possible level of road safety”.

Despite the safety injunction, many local government chiefs have already said that they will be scrapping the 80km/h limit and going back to 90km/h.

In Côte-d'Or, the département president François Sauvadet estimated that “90 percent of the network” of his department “will be able to go back to 90km/h”.

“I don't need injunctions from Paris, neither to define the speed applicable on these roads, nor to receive road safety lessons,” he told French newspaper Le Parisien.

However some have been more cautious. Christophe Guilloteau of the Rhône département said he would not be changing the limit back, saying: “If an accident were to occur in the aftermath, it would be my fault.”

French TV station BFMTV conducted its own research of all of France's 96 départements, asking them what their plans were.

While very few said they were not planning on changing it back, many said only that they were considering the issue, or did not respond at all. The list below is the départements that responded to BFMTV by the time of publication, and indicated that they would be scrapping the 80 km/h limit.

However, before you put the metal to the pedal, you should note that this is only an intention at this stage and – for the moment at least – the 80km/h limit remains in place on all secondary roads.

Before the change can happen, the French parliament must approve an amendment to the loi d'orientation des mobilités, which is unlikely to happen before the summer. 

Ain

Allier

Alpes-Maritimes

Ardèche

Aube

Aude

Aveyron

Bas-Rhin

Calvados
 
Charente
 
Corrèze
 
Côte-d'Or
 
Côtes-d'Armor
 
Creuse
 
Deux-Sèvres
 
Dordogne
 
Drôme
 
Essonne
 
Finistère
 
Haut-Rhin
 
Haute-Garonne
 
Haute-Loire
 
Haute-Marne
 
Haute-Savoie
 
Hautes-Alpes
 
Hautes-Pyrènèes
 
Hèrault
 
Ille-et-Vilaine
 
Indre
 
Isère
 
Loir-et-Cher
 
Loire
 
Loiret
 
Maine-et-Loire
 
Mayenne
 
Meuse
 
Moselle
 
Nièvre
 
Nord
 
Oise
 
Orne
 
Puy-de-Dôme
 
Pyrènèes-Atlantiques
 
Sarthe
 
Seine-et-Marne
 
Vendèe
 
Vienne
 
Vosges
 
Yonne
 
Yvelines

Member comments

  1. The phrase is “put the pedal to the metal”; not “not put the metal to the pedal” as you have written.

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HEALTH

How to get help in France with dementia and memory loss

It’s not something anyone wants to consider, but older people especially are susceptible to suffering some form of mental decline including dementia - and there is help and support out there in France.

How to get help in France with dementia and memory loss

If you are concerned that a loved one or friend may be showing signs of mental decline, here’s an overview of the system in France and where you might go to get help.

What to do if you think a loved one has dementia

First things first, dementia is not an illness. It is, more accurately, a catch-all term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking and social abilities, linked to one of a number of medical conditions of the brain, including Alzheimer’s, or by traumatic brain injuries. Symptoms vary according to the part of the brain that is damaged.

Dementia can occur at any age, but mainly affects older people. It is the cause of more than half of referrals to long-stay centres.

Britain’s NHS website lists early dementia signs to be aware of. If you are concerned that a loved one is displaying one or more of these signs, then you should seek out a formal diagnosis. Such signs do not prove the presence of a neurocognitive disorder, but if they do, early detection will make things much easier.

The first step – as always – is to arrange a consultation with your GP, who may refer the patient to a specialist.

READ ALSO How to make a doctor’s appointment in France

What happens in the specialist consultation

A referral will generally see the patient go to a local Consultation mémoire de proximité (CMP) in a Centre mémoire de ressources et de recherche (CMRR), where a specialist medical team can diagnose dementia and memory disorders.

The diagnosis will follow a series of cognitive assessment tests as well as, perhaps, brain scans and physical tests, depending on the outcome of the cognitive testing. The specialists will give you all the information you need at the time.

If a form of dementia is diagnosed, it’s understandable that you’ll be concerned about what could and should happen if your loved one can no longer take care of themselves.

As with early detection of a degenerative brain condition itself, it’s important not to leave discussions about the future too long. Do it before it’s too late is the best advice, even though it’s a conversation (or a series of them) that you will not want to have.

Financial and legal affairs

France has several administrative options for legal arrangements similar to power of attorney or guardianship – known by the umbrella term of mesures de protection judiciaires (judicial protection measures) – as well as less formal steps for those who are unable to make decisions in their daily life.

READ ALSO GUIDE: Guardianship or power of attorney options in France for elderly or vulnerable people

It is worthwhile noting, for example, that power of attorney in France can be separated into different individual areas – banking, administration, documents and management related to assets/inheritance, and voting – or granted for all sections.

It is also a good idea to check any life and health insurance policies. France insurance companies offer something known as Assurance dépendance, which pays out when holders are unable to care for themselves.

READ ALSO Health insurance in France: What you need to know about a mutuelle

Most policies insure against partial and/or total loss of autonomy. The exact sums – paid either as a lump sum or monthly – depend on the terms of the policy and degree of incapacity and can cover adaptations to a home to allow for the care of a dependent person, home help, specialised transport – even funeral expenses.

Meanwhile, families caring for a family member with dementia may also be eligible for means-tested Allocation personnalisée d’autonomie

READ ALSO French government’s seven-step plan to improve end-of-life care

Help and support

It is worthwhile getting in touch with agencies and associations, France Alzheimer for example, once you have a diagnosis. 

They will be best placed to help you navigate the French system for care and assistance – and even just provide emotional support when you need it.

They can also guide you through the CAF benefits that you may be eligible for, or help you apply for visits from a home help or aide domicile.

If the time comes when the person can no longer live at home and residential care is required, here’s a look at how the French care home system works, and the financial situation for people who have never worked in France.

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