The French government has had a lot of trouble to deal with during the last year or so, and we have to say that a lot of it is their own doing.
Now, as a government tasked with overseeing the smooth flow of operations within the country, how do you handle an increasing rate of road deaths within the country? You improve road quality. Increase road rules awareness. And, increase driver awareness. However, the French government has taken the comedic decision by decreasing the speed limits across the Mainland area.
The controversial new speed limits are said to be around 80 kmph or 50 mph. This is really low for most drivers, and French cars meant for tearing past highways would now be kept under this limit.
Road Deaths
It is believed that some 3,250 people died from road accidents last year. This figure is the lowest during the last decade, and is 9 deaths less than the previous record in 2013. Government officials believe that the low number of road deaths in 2018 were a doing of this speed limit. However, residents and drivers believe that other measures need to be implemented because they cannot drive powerful French cars at speeds less than 80 kmph on the Mainland highways.
Many analysts have also mentioned that this speed limit played an important role in instigating the yellow vest protests of last year. Residents were extremely unimpressed with the way the government conducted itself in such a situation. In a recently conducted survey, more than 78 percent of all respondents opposed the speed limits placed by the government.
The government has, however, stuck with this ridiculous measure, and believes that the drop in the number of deaths is reason enough to implement the speed limits, not realizing the need for improving road safety awareness.