Overview
- A monthlong October phase will focus on warnings, with offenders receiving the standard €135 fine, a three‑point deduction, and a written notice from the prefect.
- From 1 November, if behaviors do not improve, the prefect may order provisional licence suspensions of up to six months for drivers caught using a hand‑held phone.
- Officials cite article L224‑7 of the highway code as the legal basis, and the prefect says jurists validated the approach as a first in France.
- Local figures driving the move include 3,163 phone‑use fines since January and 16 road deaths this year, including 10 fatalities over the summer.
- Reactions are split, with victims’ advocates such as Pierre Lagache backing a strong deterrent and motorists’ groups questioning severity, as national data link around 390 deaths in 2023 to distraction tied largely to smartphones.