July 7, 2008

With nine Million passengers expected to cross the channel by car this year, a new piece of French legislation could see unwary drivers facing fines, for not carrying a reflective jacket in their cars!

From July 1st 2008, it is compulsory to have a reflective jacket on board a vehicle with four wheels or more.  Neil Greig, Director of the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists), Motoring Trust said: “This new legislation means any person planning to drive in France must carry a reflective jacket. It’s worth investing in one, before you leave, to ensure you don’t end up with a nasty fine when you’re on holiday.  It would be a shame to get your collar felt for the lack of a legal jacket.”

In the case of an emergency the jacket must be easily accessible, and the driver must put it on before leaving the vehicle (quite a skill in itself).  This legislation is compulsory day and night, regardless of visibility and conditions.  From 1st October this year anyone found not complying will face a 135 Euro fine (90 Euro if paid early).

This piece of legislation will surely leave many tourists feeling exploited, with the legislation looking spurious to say the least.  That the driver of a vehicle involved in a crash could be fined for not leaving their car with a luminous jacket on is incredible.

Mr Greig added: “People tend to go into ‘holiday mode’ when away and don’t expect to break down or be involved in an accident.  But, research shows you’re actually three times more likely to be involved in an accident when abroad.  Being fully prepared will really help take some of the stress out of a bad situation.”

This piece of legislation shows just how important it is to research driving rules and regulations before taking your car abroad.  There are no details as yet on the rules for hire cars, but presumably they will be expected to provide a jacket, in line with regulations, with each car hired.

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