The authorities will be tolerant for this first winter. Even if chains, snow or all-season tires become compulsory from 1er November in many mountain communities, their fault will not be “Not sanctioned this winter”, announced the Ministry of the Interior, Monday, October 4. “Information and educational operations will accompany the implementation of this system in the coming weeks”, the ministry announced.
The “mountain law” of December 2016 requires light vehicles, utility vehicles and motorhomes which circulate in these areas to keep in their trunk either removable non-slip devices (metal snow chains or textile “socks”), allowing them to be fitted to the vehicle. at least two driving wheels, or to be fitted with four winter tires (marked “M + S”, “MS” Where “M&S”).
Coaches, buses and heavy goods vehicles without trailers and semi-trailers are subject to the same obligations. Heavy goods vehicles with a trailer or semi-trailer must have snow chains enabling at least two drive wheels to be fitted, even if they are fitted with winter tires.
Lists of municipalities concerned by department
The prefects of the departments located in the mountain ranges were to establish before the 1er November, in consultation with local elected officials, the list of municipalities where vehicle equipment becomes compulsory during the winter period, i.e. from 1er November to March 31.
The prefects of Cantal, Haute-Loire, Haute-Savoie, Puy-de-Dôme and Savoie have issued a decree for all of their departments. Others have issued decrees concerning only certain municipalities. In the Hautes-Pyrénées, for example, 55 municipalities out of 469 are affected by this obligation, mainly above 1,000 meters in altitude. The obligation concerns the entire municipality in Viscos, but provides for an exception in Adervielle-Pouchergues for the departmental road that crosses the town.
Several prefects decided, on the contrary, that there would be no obligation in their department, as in Nièvre, “Taking into account the climatic conditions, the topography and the road links of the department”, but also in Corrèze, Côte-d’Or, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, Lot, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Saône-et-Loire and Tarn-et-Garonne.
Regulations unknown for the majority of French people
For lack of a complete list of the municipalities concerned, and while the icy roads seem distant, many French people still ignore this regulation, which only extends a rule already in place on many dangerous roads. At the end of September, 65% of motorists had never heard of this obligation, according to an Opinionway survey carried out for the tire specialist Point-S. 86% of motorists consider this measure “Too expensive”, but 30% think they will equip themselves this winter.
“Customers come to the centers to ask a lot of questions and get information”, explained Joël Arandel, marketing director of Point-S, to Agence France-Presse. But, for the moment, the distributor has not observed a significant increase in sales of the equipment affected by the law.
This regulation should above all boost tire sales “All seasons”, underlines, for its part, Euromaster, a subsidiary of Michelin, which reports “A significant increase in equipment” in this more versatile category. “Given the excitement, we anticipated a little more and brought in 30 to 40% of additional stocks”, explains Gérald Tisseur, responsible for three Point-S centers between Lyon and the Alps. “Fleet managers, especially leasing sales representatives, have asked their users to make an appointment in advance in the stores, so we have large pre-orders. People are afraid of a shortage ”, explains the professional. “This law may be supported in bad weather. If the winter is warm, only the people who will go to the mountains will equip themselves. “
New signage must also be gradually implemented. A sign showing a mountain, a suitcase of chains and a tire must indicate the entries and exits of mountain areas where the winter equipment obligation applies.