Do you regularly indulge in minor speeding incidents? A new government measure, which takes effect on January 1, 2024, will give a break to your driving license, and especially to your points!
When driving, it is not uncommon for motorists to have a heavy foot on the accelerator and slightly exceed the speed limits. Some people tend to think that 54 km/h instead of 50 is “not much more”, but so far, these “small” speed violations do not escape the radar. In terms of numbers, this represented, “in 2020, more than 7.2 million initial fines notices sent for speeding of between 1 and 5 km/h (above the authorized speed limit) by speed cameras”, indicated the Ministry of the Interior in April 2022 following a question from a senator from Var. But soon, these devices on the roads will no longer be as sensitive to speeding below 5 km/h.
At the request of the President of the Republic, from January 1, 2024, there will no longer be points deducted for speeding below 5 km/h. The fine will of course be maintained.
A measure of common sense for our fellow citizens.— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 19, 2023
Indeed, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced on April 19, 2023 on his Twitter account the end of the withdrawal of points on the driving license for speeding of less than 5 km/h. This new measure must take effect from January 1, 2024. However, this does not mean that motorists are exempt from penalties in the event of excessive speed. The minister specifies, in a letter consulted by nice morning And AFP : “it will not be a question of decriminalizing these offenses which will remain punishable by a fine”.
Clearly, in the future, if a driver drives a little faster than the authorized limit, even 5 km/h below, he will have to pay a fine (but no longer the withdrawal of points). As a reminder, the amount of the fine is 68 euros for speeding below 20 km/h (with an authorized speed above 50 km/h). LThe fixed fine then increases to 135 euros if the speeding violation (less than 20 km/h) is committed while the maximum authorized speed is less than or equal to 50 km/h.
“This news appears like a breath of fresh air for all those who see their license points disappear one after the other, for infractions minors”, reacted the Drivers’ Defense League. However, motorists must keep in mind the rules of good driving and respect speed limits as much as possible when driving a vehicle. Because as a reminder, Speed remains the leading cause of fatal accidents in France, underlines a Road Safety leaflet. Gérard Darmanin has also made it known that he wants to toughen penalties for people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and increase road checks.