The purpose of this communiqué is to provide a succinct overview of the main changes to the Rules of the Road that came into force on 1st April 2008. The provisions relating to safety equipment apply from 1st June 2008.

Tyres
Mixing tyres of different structures and/or characteristics on the same axle is now prohibited for safety reasons on passenger cars and vans.

Safety equipment and its use
From 1st June 2008, certain vehicles must be fitted with the following:

- self-propelled road vehicles must have safety clothing on board as a minimum;
- self-propelled road vehicles with at least four wheels must have a warning triangle on board as a minimum;
- vans, trucks, tractor units for trailers and semi-trailers and specialised vehicles exceeding 3,500 kg in weight must have one or more portable fire extinguishers on board with a total capacity of at least 12 kg; the same vehicles, vans excepted, must also carry a first aid box on board.

The use of safety clothing on motorways: Anyone who walks along the carriageway, or the emergency lane or a stopping place on a motorway must wear safety clothing.

The use of safety clothing other than on motorways, on rural roads: Unless it is to cross the carriageway, any person who travels on foot along a normal road situated in the countryside, between dusk and dawn as well as during the day where conditions of reduced visibility prevail, must wear safety clothing. This prescription does not apply to public places, cycle lanes and cycle and pedestrians tracks.

The use of the warning triangle: If a vehicle is immobilised on a carriageway and cannot be removed from the driving lanes of the carriageway, because of a breakdown for example, the driver must activate the distress signal, if the vehicle is equipped with it, as well as the warning triangle or an appropriate illuminated or reflective signal, placed at least 100 metres from the vehicle on motorways and at least 30 metres on normal roads.

These provisions are also applicable to vehicles travelling internationally.

Seatbelts and special restraint systems for children
In order to improve safety, the new regulations strengthen regulatory provisions with regard to the obligatory wearing of seatbelts and the use of special restraint systems for children.

The main changes with respect to the legislation previously in force are the following:

1. Children less than 3 years old cannot be transported other than in a homologated special restraint system (child seat). These children may not be transported in road vehicles, other than buses and coaches, which are not fitted with safety measures (special restraint system and seatbelt).

2. Wearing a seatbelt and, where appropriate, the use of a special restraint system for children, are obligatory for drivers and passengers of “heavy goods” vehicles.

3. In passenger cars, light trucks and “heavy goods” vehicles, children aged between 3 and 17 who are less than 150 cm tall must be secured in a special restraint system.

This obligation also applies where children are in the rear of the vehicle, which is not the case currently. A derogation is permitted in exceptional circumstances, when it is sufficient that the children wear seatbelts.

4. In cars and coaches which are fitted with them, it is obligatory for drivers and passengers aged over 3 years to wear a seatbelt. Passengers must be informed of this obligation by a pictogram placed in a manner that is visible to each seat fitted with a seatbelt. This obligation does not apply to buses and coaches used for local public transport.

5. In taxis, drivers and passengers must wear a seatbelt and, where appropriate, use a special restraint system for children. While children aged less than 3 must be placed in a special restraint system, children aged between three and 17 years and whose height is less than 150 cm may, in the absence of a special restraint system, wear the seatbelt on condition that they sit in the rear of the vehicle.

Coloured lights
A flashing orange light indicates to users that they need to be especially prudent. At pedestrian crossings, the flashing orange light improves the safety of pedestrians who want to cross the road. This safety measure does not deprive pedestrians of their priority rights on pedestrian crossings, as long as they take care while crossing the road. In order to harmonise the situation throughout the country, and to ensure that the situation in terms of priority is clear for both pedestrians and drivers who are approaching a pedestrian crossing, the Rules of the Road state that while the orange light is flashing for drivers, the pedestrian signals should be turned out. Until all systems have been updated, where installations show a red light for pedestrians and an orange flashing light for motorists, pedestrians must respect this red light.

Changing direction
Drivers who turn right at a crossroads should not obstruct cycle traffic riding on a cycle lane on the same road and that are continuing in a straight line.

Speed limit
The maximum speed limit of 75 km/h in the case of rain or other adverse weather conditions applicable to buses, coaches, vehicles with trailers and road vehicles whose maximum authorised weight exceeds 7,500 kg has been cancelled in order to reduce the difference with the maximum speed of 110 km/h for other vehicles. These vehicles may therefore drive at speeds of up to 90 km/h in such conditions.

Safe distance
In order to keep sufficient distance to avoid a collision with the vehicle in front, drivers must, if traffic flow deteriorates in a tunnel, keep a minimum distance of 5 metres from the vehicle in front, unless this is not possible because of an emergency stop. 

Stopping and parking prohibited
In order to facilitate service at bus stops, vehicles other than buses are no longer permitted to stop at these stops, unless a sign indicates the contrary. Additionally, stopping and parking is prohibited within 5 metres of both sides of pedestrian crossings and passages for cyclists.

The use of the distress signal
In the event of a deterioration in traffic flow, the driver approaching a queue that has formed on the traffic lane he is using and is forced to slow down or stop his car, must use the distress signal, if the vehicle is equipped with it.