This new phenomenon discovered in France can cause serious road accidents.
There are many dangers on the road. Slippery roads due to weather conditions, roads in poor condition, reckless driving by some users, serious mechanical problems, loss of concentration, drowsiness… the causes leading to sometimes very serious accidents are multiple. There is really no need to add to them when we know that nearly 3,400 people lost their lives in a traffic accident in France in 2023. Unfortunately, some malicious individuals do not care and are ready to do anything, even if it means causing tragedies.
Because a new scourge threatens the safety of motorists. For some time now, criminal networks have been operating on the roads of France. Professional carjackers? Not at all. These thugs do not directly attack drivers but rather… roads. And yes, after electric cables, now the thefts of manhole covers are on the rise. While these may seem like worthless objects to everyone, the criminals find their profit by stealing as many of these cast iron covers as possible – each weighing around thirty kilos – which are then resold and melted down. A haul that costs municipalities dearly since the price of a manhole cover is estimated at nearly 500 euros.
The problem is that in addition to not being able to do much against these thefts – it is forbidden for maintenance reasons to seal these plates, which can therefore be lifted by hand in a few seconds – it is not easy for cities to replace them immediately. Result: the streets are full of holes and become very dangerous for driving. A car that drives into a hole the size of a manhole cover has a high chance of breaking its wheel, damaging its steering and ending up in the scenery. But it can be even more serious for a two-wheeler, whether it is a motorbike, a scooter or even a bicycle, for which the risk of being thrown to the ground is high, with the physical injuries that result.
Very widespread in Spain, manhole cover thefts have for some time crossed the Pyrenees, particularly in the North of France where many cases have been noted. As if the list of things to do when driving was not already long enough for everyone’s safety, from now on motorists will also have to check if there are any holes under their wheels…