I checked on whether I have any points on my new French driving licence.
When I saw I still have the 12, I did some research. It seems that minor (<20kph over limit) speeding deductions go after 6 months if you don’t reoffend. My two indiscretions fell into that category (and now I have a TomTom).
But a conviction for using a phone while driving lasts for 3 years.
Plus an instant minimum one year licence confiscation…
I believe the maximum immediate licence suspension is 6 months (Landes) but some other departments its one month, and some no immediate suspension but points deducted.
The one time I tried using a phone, in crawling traffic but still stupid and irresponsible, I felt so uncomfortable that I never repeated it.
Yes, I believe it is six months.
Should be more though…
BIL received a €90 fine, I am sure he is still driving though.
Reading today’s Connexion, I see that I am wrong in there being a nationwide ban - it is in fact only a handful of departments that have an instant ban. My apologies.
Crazy though. France acknowledges there is a driving problem. Everyone knows using a telephone whilst driving causes accidents and deaths (there were two here recently where a young woman reached down to retrieve her fallen phone, and then bang, head on into another car driven by a nurse returning from her nightshift) so, why not address it with draconian measures it deserves..?
Maybe when Marine is in, they might feel free to side step all the mamby pamby… but I doubt it even then!