8/9/2019 French government announces fines amnesty

1/2

FRENCH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES FINES AMNESTY

It has become a tradition that a newly-elected French Presidentimmediately declares an amnesty on fixed-penalty driving offences. Much

pre-election debate takes place on the issue. This year, however, the

'gifts' were not so generous as in previous elections. One possible reasonis that the government has been getting increasingly worried about theimpact of amnesties: this year, for example, many drivers assumed that all fines would be waived

and so 'appeared to have thrown away the Highway Code' (as one paper put it), with the resultthat deaths and injuries have been up. Even more worrying is the evidence that careless driving is

still on the increase, despite the pre-amnesty excitement being over.

A possible reason for this continued carelessness is the popularmisconception that clemency starts from the date of its Parliamentary

approval (during August), rather than that of the President's investiturein May (in other words, it was useless to park carelessly in the Summer,

as only tickets issued prior to the 16th May counted!). Jean-Yves Salaun,the oficial responsible for road safety, was quoted as bemoaning the fact

that many motorists have continued with the bad habits they adopted duringthe amnesty: "While figures are hard to find, you have only to walk down

the street and see how many vehicles are parked just anywhere - onpedestrian crossings or on the pavement, for example". At the same time,

there has been a big increase in the numbers of parking tickets issued andof vehicles impounded.

Prior to a presidential election, the amnesty becomes a key issue for the

media and it is something on which all the candidates arequizzed. Meanwhile, drivers feel free to park (and, in some cases,

drive) where they like. This year was no exception.

The amnesty, itself, is announced by the new President who, then, needsParliamentary approval. However, there are many misconceptions and

misunderstandings about how and when it works. This year, the winningcandidate, Jacques Chirac, faced pressure from road safety

organisations to limit benefits to situations that posed no danger to lifeor limb - so jumping red lights or driving under the influence were

instantly dropped!

However, it was the parking exemptions that proved the mostcomplicated. One newspaper devoted a whole page to explaining, with

diagrams, which offences counted and which didn't. Ignoring a meter, orover-staying, were obvious candidates for the amnesty. Other parking

offences, with penalties up to 230 FF (23) were also cancelled - providedthey were not the result of dangerous acts, such as parking at a bus stop

or in a bay for disabled motorists. Double parking and obstructingdelivery bays gained absolution, too.

8/9/2019 French government announces fines amnesty

2/2

No such luck, though for drivers who took the risk of parking on a bend,

at the brow of a hill or in a bus lane or a pedestrian crossing. Theirfines stand.

A police spokesman felt that this year's amnesty took into account thefeelings of victims and the spirit of the times, yet was "reasonable and fair", within the traditionalspirit of forgiveness. But those with an interest in road safety were not happy with even these

limited concessions. One organisation wrote to every MP asking him or her "in the name of allroad-accident victims and their families" to refuse to

vote for an amnesty.