YELLOW VESTS SABOTAGE 60% OF FRANCE'S SPEED CAMERA NETWORK

11 Jan 2019

Protesters in France have damaged around two thirds of the country’s speed camera network as part of protests against rising fuel and commuting costs. The French government was forced to start a hard-hitting speed campaign amidst thousands of road-related deaths and injuries last year.

Interior Minister, Christophe Castaner has said the devices had been “neutralised, attacked, or destroyed” by members of the Yellow Vests and that over 60% of France’s 3,200 speed cameras are believed to be affected.

The public were already angry with speed limit sanctions that were imposed last year. In many parts of the country, the speed limit was reduced from 90km/h to 80km/h, which is 50mph.

The movement originally began over fuel tax increases and the rising cost of commuting for the working person, which has now resulted in protesters targeting toll roads and speed cameras. According to the Yellow Vests, many people feel that the speed cameras are solely there to generate revenue from the poor.

The Yellow Vests, or Gilets Jaunes in French is a protest movement named after the high-visibility vests that every driver in the country must keep in their vehicle by law.

Many see this movement as being heavy handed, where innocent people’s property has been damaged or destroyed. Others see them as the wake up call the French Government needs.

While many have praised this latest tactic, others accuse the Yellow Vests of being reckless by putting innocent motorists at risk.

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Comments

Speed cameras have never been designed with road safety in mind they are just money making machines, but, while enforcing speed limits is one way to minimize risks on the road it’s up to the drivers, education and sense of responsibility to behave safely on the road if someone wants to be reckless they will be regardless of the limits while others with common sense will not. The french government took the punishment for a few people and spreaded it to a whole country most likely because it is more profitable this way.

To support your reasoning, why prefer repression to a better learning of driving? It simply brings more money for a lower cost…

Some thought…?
In most cases they are bloody piggy banks that do not really have a positive impact on the mindset of many drivers.
Most of the time, these things aren’t there to educate people but just to make as much money as possible.
To finish with a good old expression that summarizes the current situation: “ce pays est actuellement en train de partir en cou**.
This said, I never got caught over speed limits as I mostly drive 10-15 kph under (see my garage if you’d ask why).