These signs have changed since October 1 on the ring road – do motorists really risk a fine?

This new regulation in force from October 1 could soon penalize many motorists.

Be careful if you plan to get behind the wheel: new regulations come into force in a major city in France this Tuesday 1^er October 2024. Several million motorists are affected by this major change and it may well be that some of them will need a little time to adapt. Rest assured, France has not decided to imitate its English friend and proclaim driving on the left. But on this busy road every day, drivers will still have to change their habits.

Indeed, this beginning of autumn marks a new speed limit on a road inaugurated 40 years ago. In the space of ten days, between 1^er and on October 10, a 35-kilometer-long road will increase to 50 kilometers/hour when it was still limited to 80 km/h ten years ago and to 70 since 2014. This radical change is on the ring road Parisian that it will take place. Motorists will have to drastically reduce their speed, by 20 km/h, to comply with this new rule which will force them to drive on a four-lane road (in most of the route) at the speed normally reserved for built-up areas.

It was at night that the city of Paris planned to change all the speed limit signs on its circular ring and gradually extend the speed limit to 50 km/h to the entire ring road. The 12 kilometer portion between the Portes des Lilas and Portes d’Orléans, on the inner ring road, is the first to be passed there, and by October 10 the entire boulevard, in both directions of traffic, will be limited to this speed. And new regulations mean new fines in the event of non-compliance. But rest assured, especially if you take the ring road every day to get to work, the radars installed everywhere around Paris will remain set to 70km/h for some time to come.

Political differences, between the city of Paris and the Prefecture in particular, may well delay the official approval of the speed limit of 50 km/h on the Paris belt. For the moment, no driver will be able to be flashed if they drive between 50 and 70 km/h on the ring road despite the installation by October 10 of all the signs prohibiting driving at more than 50 km/h.

To be able to fine motorists, the Paris town hall will have to wait for the approval of its municipal decree. Until then, drivers will be able (or not) to get used to the new speed limit. So as not to risk a fine of 135 euros if one day the radars and the new road signs on the ring road come to agree…