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DRIVING

France set to confiscate driving licences from motorists caught using mobile phone

Drivers in France will soon risk having their licenses taken away if they are caught using their phones at the wheel, it has been announced.

Published: 9 July 2019 15:30 CEST
France set to confiscate driving licences from motorists caught using mobile phone
Photo: kikovic/Depositphotos
The French government is set to ramp up its action against motorists who use their phones while driving. 
 
Emmanuel Barbe, the government's road safety tsar, has announced that confiscating the licenses of drivers caught using their phones at the wheel will be written into the loi d'orientation des mobilités in an attempt to tackle risky driving. 
 
The new measure, which will be part of the new €13.4 billion package to improve both France's transport networks and its carbon emission, will see licenses temporarily removed from the offender. 
 
“The idea is really to annoy uncooperative drivers,” Barbe told French radio station Europe 1. “We do not want to deprive anyone of their license for months on end.”
 
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'Aggressive, thoughtless, arrogant': This is how bad French drivers really arePhoto: AFP

According to a recent report on the bad habits of French drivers, it seems like the government could be on to something. 

The report revealed that a total of six percent of French motorists are using their phones while driving on the motorway, compared to four percent in 2015. 
 
That figure shoots up when it comes to observing the behaviour of truck drivers, 15 percent of whom drive with their phones in hand. 
 
“Fifteen percent of fatal accidents on the motorway are due to inattentiveness,” Pascal Contremoulins, head of road safety at Sanef, a private company responsible for operating French motorways, told the French media last week.
 
“Motorists have not yet fully realised how dangerous it is to use their phones when behind the wheel,” he added.
 
In 2016, an An American study showed that sending a text message while driving multiplied the chances of an accident by 23 percent and the rise of smartphones has led to an increase in people using their devices on the roads. 
 
At the moment French law only permits the suspension of a driving license if the driver is caught drink driving, driving under the influence of drugs or speeding by more than 40km/h. 
 
Someone caught using their phone is currently subject to a fine of €135 and three points off their license.
 
The loi d'orientation des mobilités is expected to be adopted in the coming weeks. 

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For members

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.

Published: 12 June 2024 17:15 CEST
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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