A “scourge”, as Elisabeth Borne called it, against which the government intends to act more severely. The Prime Minister, who chaired the interministerial committee on road safety organized in Matignon on Monday July 17, 2023, announced that she wanted “make mandatory” suspension of license for driving under narcotics. “Alcohol, narcotics, are a scourge on the roads. In a fatal accident in five, the driver tested positive for narcotics. We must therefore be intractable with drug users and impose more severe penalties for addictive driving. This is why we have made automatic the suspension of the license in the event of driving under the influence of narcotics”she said, informing that a “medical check of fitness to drive” will be carried out “as soon as an offense has a medical problem for presumed origin”. Also present at this committee, Minister Gérald Darmanin spoke about the increased sanctions. If six points were removed so far, it is now eight points that would be removed from the license in case of driving under the influence of narcotics. As a reminder, a driving license initially consists of a capital of twelve points.
Eric Dupond-Moretti: “We obviously heard the grief of the victims”
“When someone is checked now with driving under ‘narcotics’, and under alcohol, so far the prefect could suspend. Tomorrow, he will have to”declared the Minister of the Interior, specifying that this suspension would go from six months to one year. The government also provides for the immobilization of the vehicle for those who drive under narcotics. “That is obviously an administrative line of action”, said Gérald Darmanin, before giving the floor to the Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti. “Obviously we heard the grief of the victims who say ‘well, what is involuntary? There is nothing involuntary in consuming narcotics or alcohol!’ And naturally, people who are victims of this are in total disarray when told that the perpetrator will be tried for manslaughter. It’s unbearable”, lamented the Keeper of the Seals. As a result, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne confirmed a change in qualification. What was previously called “manslaughter” in the case of homicide under the influence of narcotics will now be called “road homicide”. If repression does not change, this new name has a “strong symbolic dimension”said Matignon.