The Local France

France bans bikes and scooters weaving between lanes of traffic after 'disappointing' safety trial

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 12:55:11 +0100

It's a common sight on French roads, but motorbikes and scooters are now banned from passing between two lanes of traffic anywhere in France.

Air France stops identity checks on passengers boarding its flights

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 18:17:36 +0100

Air France has stopped carrying out a final identity check to make sure that the same name is present on passengers' passports and their boarding passes, raising concerns over flight safety from unions and local authorities.

Where in France do drivers run the most red lights?

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 16:05:28 +0200

Driving in France can be a minefield for the uninitiated, and complaining about the country's motorists is a hobby of many foreigners in the country.

France rolls out fake speed cameras (but where are they?)

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 16:51:52 +0100

France has rolled out the first of 5,000 dummy speed cameras in the hope of tricking motorists into driving more safely in a bid to cut rising road deaths.

Miracle French paraglider, 70, somehow survives fall to earth

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 18:10:08 +0100

Monday got off to a dramatic start for the 70-year-old paraglider from southwestern France.

Security stepped up at nurseries in Paris

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 09:05:24 +0100

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, announced on Wednesday that the city’s creches and play groups will be covered by the counter-terror operation Plan Vigipirate, which has seen security stepped up at sensitive sites across the capital.

How to avoid the Paris Metro pickpockets

Fri, 29 May 2015 13:46:30 +0200

You might be a seasoned pro on the Paris Metro, or just visiting for a few days. Either way, you will need to watch out for ingenious pickpockets working the French capital’s underground rail network. Here's a guide on how to avoid being robbed.

France sees worrying rise in road deaths

Tue, 30 Dec 2014 11:38:00 +0100

France's roads are becoming more dangerous with new figures from the interior ministry revealing the number of people dying in accidents has risen by five percent in 2014. The rise is a blow to the government, which had vowed to cut the number of deaths.

Strip bars to fires: Travel warnings about France

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 19:06:00 +0200

The safety warnings foreign governments issue to their citizens when visiting France can appear to be excessively alarming. Although we don't want to be scaremongers, here are a few of the most severe from governments around the world.

French women's safety fears 'due to inequality'

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:23:00 +0200

Recent studies suggest women in France do not feel safe walking the streets of their neighbourhoods and many are afraid of walking around Paris at night. Some argue that gender inequality in the country is partly to blame.

France to experiment with lower speed limits

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 20:30:00 +0200

In an effort to further reduce the number of road deaths, France plans to cut speed limits on certain roads that are particularly dangerous. The move comes despite the country hitting a record low in the number of traffic fatalities.

Bretigny crash: Safety checks and bolts blamed

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 13:40:00 +0100

A long awaited report on the deadly Bretigny train crash in the Paris suburbs published on Friday shed some light on the cause of July's derailment that shocked a country which prides itself on its world class rail system.

Reactor down as cold snap drives power demand

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:40:00 +0100

A nuclear reactor has gone into an unscheduled shutdown, state energy giant EDF said on Friday, placing fresh pressure on a national power grid already strained by freezing temperatures.

Nuclear watchdog urges safety boost

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:20:00 +0100

A French watchdog on Tuesday called for the country's nuclear plants to beef up safety following the Fukushima disaster under a programme it estimated would cost tens of billions of euros.