Protesters Have Disabled 60% Of France's Speed Camera Network
Six in 10 speed cameras in France have been rendered useless by vandalism as protesters angry with tax rises take ‘revenge’ on the government.
France’s interior minister, Christophe Castaner, announced the eye-opening figures in a statement yesterday before criticising those responsible for damage that ‘threatens road safety and endangers lives.’
Spray paint, tyres, plastic wrap and even fire have all been used to disable around 1920 of the 3200 cameras, which some among the now infamous ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow vests) protest movement see as purely an oppressive, authoritarian money-spinner from a government that favours the ‘urban elite’ over ordinary French people.
The main yellow vest protests were until recently a fixture of a Parisian weekend, causing huge amounts of damage to property as hi-viz-clad crowds packed the streets to fight back against huge tax hikes that French president Emmanuel Macron had tried to apply to fuel – specifically diesel, upon which much of French road transport relies.
While concessions from the government eventually thinned the size of the protests, speed cameras are also a target for the French people’s ire. Early in 2018 the national speed limit on many main roads (not all of them busy and/or dangerous) was lowered from 90kph (56mph) to 80kph (50mph), with fixed and mobile cameras on site to catch anyone defying the new rules.
The gilets jaunes saw it as another of President Macron’s attacks on the ordinary driver and have seemingly been sabotaging cameras ever since. The government has responded by giving the police greater powers to crush ‘unsanctioned’ protests. Make of that what you will.
Comments
That’s about the only good thing these idio*s have done.
not that I like the granny-fker, but the yellowvests are commies and most are migrants that demand free stuff.
The absolute madlads
France roads is the new autobahn !
Yet here in the UK, we just put a tweet of complaint online and get over it 😂
The “problem” with these things is, that they are placed for “safety reasons”, but most of them here in Austria are installed on a straight, where you would accelerate, because there is absolutely not a single reason how you could put anybody in danger (at least, when you’re driving alone and there is no traffic).
I know that you have to obey the law and respect the speed limit.
But honestly, who really hasn’t have passed the speed limit at least once in their driving lifetime?
Short story: It’s easy earned money for the government.
Seriously, they should ONLY put these things in places, where it makes sense. Like near schools, hospitals, or before dangerous roads and so on.
Unless that happens, I can’t share a tear.
Most of the speed cameras are not placed for safety reasons, even if they are they don’t work like that. What if some madman speeds past them at 150+ mph on a small road, and smash into another car frontally and both of them die? Nothing. The idiot gets a fine for his funeral and that’s all. Only thing that would actually help safety is police officers sitting on motorbikes and immediately chasing down speeders BUT ONLY at dangerous areas.
Or police officers standing there with flashing lights, so that people slow down, but they don’t do that, because that doesn’t generate any money.
You’re absolutely right. Most of those speed cameras are placed on the motorway, in straight or even in downhill sections. There are stats that proves that those speed cameras are placed in the “safest” - or should I say - the least deadliest portion of roads.
In France, most of the deadly accident are NOT on the motorway but on b-roads.
If those speed cameras were placed in areas that are notoriously dangerous or deadly, near schools or pedestrian areas, that would make sence.
Most of them are used as a way of earning money. If there weren’t any speed cameras, the government would find another way to earn that money (taxes, etc…). If you respect the speed limits, you don’t pay, that’s not difficult.
The dream
So you like prefer having your car lit on fire and paying for repairs of the speed cameras rather than following the rules?
In the UK, can they just steal all the cameras from motorways and install them in cities instead?
There is no reason to have 50mph average speed cameras on the M6 yet allow people to do 40 next to schools
im surprised france hasnt surrendered yet
The ultimate surrender, surrendering to themselves.
Good on them. So glad to see a western European nation in open revolt against the man. I thought we’d got to comfortable behind our TVs and social media to do anything about being repeatedly shafted for the benifit of the financial sector and big business. Britain next please! I’d gladly join.
Chaos cannot be denied.