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WE COVER UPDATES TO SPEEDING OFFENCES, INSURANCE STICKERS AND DRIVING TESTS The French driving rules have been updated with changes for younger drivers, insurance, points deductions, fines
and speed limits. We also give a full breakdown of the speeding penalties that apply in 2024. The changes come as part of a wider policy of “treating good drivers well and bad drivers
harshly”, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. YOUNGER DRIVERS People can now start learning to drive and pass their test from age 17. The previous driving age was 18. Young
people in professional training can also benefit from a €500 grant towards passing their licence. Several road security groups have voiced their concerns about the measure, including the
League against road violence (Ligue contre la violence routière). “We are doing the opposite of what we should do if we want to cut the number of road deaths in half by 2030," said the
group’s president Jean-Yves Lamant. In 2022, drivers aged 18-24 represented 18% of road deaths, according to the government road safety watchdog ONISR. INSURANCE The mandatory car insurance
papers, which French vehicles have to display on their windscreen, will disappear from April 2024. They are to be replaced by an electronic registry accessible to police. People who did not
display their insurance paper were previously subject to a fine, which will no longer be the case under the new system. “This is a common sense measure that constitutes an important step in
the simplification and modernisation of our insurance system,” announced Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire in December. The professional federation of insurers, France Assureurs, welcomed the
measure and told AFP that it would “contribute to the simplification of drivers’ lives”. READ MORE: CAR WINDSCREEN INSURANCE STICKERS TO DISAPPEAR IN FRANCE FROM APRIL SPEED LIMITS Roads in
residential areas without pavements are limited at 30km/h from January 1. The speed limits for roads in such areas can only be higher if they have pavements with pedestrian guardrails and
accessibility features for mobility impaired people. CAR SHARING Drivers without passengers now face fines of up to €135 if they are caught in a car sharing lane by a thermal camera on the
M6 or M7 in Lyon. The cameras were fitted in November, but infractions did not result in fines for the first two months. The fines have already been applied in other areas, including on the
A1 in Pas-de-Calais. READ MORE: LONE DRIVERS NOW FACE FINES FOR USING CARSHARE LANE ON FRENCH MOTORWAY POINTS DEDUCTIONS Speeding offences of up to 5km/h over the limit no longer incur a
points deduction. Most drivers in France start with 12 points (young drivers start with 6) and when they reach 0 points, they are suspended. These offences are still subject to a fine, which
can rise to €135, depending on the road. This does have an effect on anyone living in France and driving on a foreign licence. We cover that in the article below. READ MORE: END OF POINTS
PENALTY FOR ‘SMALL SPEEDERS’ IN FRANCE: MIXED REACTION SPEEDING FINES The big change for speeding offences is that drivers caught at 50km/h over the limit are more severely punished from
January 1, 2024. Such offences are now considered a judicial matter, and can incur: * A fine of €1,500 * Deduction of 6 points * Three years suspension from driving * Ban from driving
certain types of vehicle for up to three years; * Confiscation of the vehicle * Requiring the driver to do complete road safety training READ MORE: EXPLAINER: SPEED CAMERAS, FINES AND
DRIVING LICENCE POINTS IN FRANCE WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES FOR SPEEDING IN FRANCE IN 2024? READ ALSO NO PENALTY FOR DRIVER CAUGHT AT 275 KM/H ON FRENCH MOTORWAY PARIS PLANS TO REDUCE SPEED
LIMIT ON OUTER RING ROAD FROM 70 TO 50KM/H