Insurers may not compensate all drivers this winter.
Watch out for uncontrolled skidding! If you cause a road accident this winter, you may not be covered by your insurance. A shame when you pay on average between 50 and 100 euros each month to be taken care of in the event of a disaster. The information may seem surprising at first glance but is explained by the application of the Mountain law which has come into force in 48 departments of France (see the list below) for two years.
What does this new law say? It asks motorists driving in or near mountainous areas to equip their vehicles to be able to drive safely in winter conditions (snow, ice, etc.) between 1er November and March 31. In these areas, marked by large rectangular signs on which a mountain, a tire and a suitcase containing chains are drawn, each car must be fitted with snow or 4-season tires. If this is not the case, the driver must be able to show that they have snow chains or snow socks ready to use in case of inclement weather.
For the third winter in a row, the government has decided to take prevention. No class 4 fine (135 euros) will be distributed between now and March 31. Good news for the many motorists concerned – the equipment requested can cost several hundred euros – but which hides bad news. If fines for non-compliance with the Mountain Law will not be issued before winter 2024-2025, insurance companies will be much less patient.
The amounts of compensation paid can be enormous!
Quoted on the Challenge.fr website, Dominique Stempfel, the president of the Tire Professionals Union, confides that ”insurance companies have warned about the risks of lapse in insurance.” Faced every winter with a high number accidents due to driving on snow and/or ice, insurers could refuse to compensate drivers responsible for an accident – undoubtedly depending on its severity – if their vehicle is not equipped as required. requires the Mountain law.
And there, the bill could be much higher than a fine of 135 euros! Insurance, compulsory in France as in many countries, can cover the cost of repairing your vehicle, medical costs in the event of injury, as well as material damage that you could cause to other people or their property. . If he is not covered by his insurance, the at-fault driver risks paying compensation to the victims of the accident for years or even for life. Sums which, cumulatively, can reach several tens of thousands of euros. Enough to put expenses for the purchase of snow tires or chains into perspective.
Here are the 48 departments affected by the Mountain law:
Ain, Allier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Ariège, Aude, Aveyron, Bas-Rhin, Cantal, Corse-du-Sud, Côte-d’Or, Creuse, Doubs, Drôme, Eure- et-Loir, Gard, Haute-Corse, Haute-Garonne, Haute-Loire, Hautes-Alpes, Haute-Saône, Haute-Savoie, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Vienne, Haut-Rhin, Hérault, Isère, Jura, Loire, Lot, Lozère, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, Nièvre, Puy-de-Dôme, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pyrénées-Orientales, Rhône, Saône-et-Loire, Savoie, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Territoire de Belfort, Var, Vaucluse, Vosges, and Yonne.