Power cuts: will the traffic lights be on on the road?

Due to the energy crisis which today threatens France, and more generally Europe, the government has indicated that occasional power outages could be triggered this winter, in the event of voltage on the electrical network. However, these temporary stops, which will be announced in advance, and implemented in well-defined areas of the territory, should not upset the daily life of the French. On the other hand, power cuts are still likely to impact several devices this winter, such as the traffic lights used to regulate traffic on the roads. Therefore, some of them could well occasionally break down in the event of a power cut.

As stated BFM TV Monday, December 5, 2022, you have to be careful when driving and to engage on the roads, because the traffic lights could be extinguished in certain regions. “It depends on the places“, specified the spokesman of the government, Olivier Véran, on the antenna of the continuous information channel. If ever the road signs were to be suspended at the time of a power cut this winter, it will then be necessary to rely on the basic driving instructions. This concretely means that priority to the right and priority to pedestrians will be the traffic rule to follow by default.

Power cuts: service stations will not be able to deliver fuel during load shedding

For their part, the prefects were also called upon to recommend to French motorists to limit their travel on the roads this winter. For their part, the toll gates, which are powered independently, should operate normally during power outages. On the other hand, the French will have to pay close attention to their gas tank before using their vehicle. In effect, service stations will no longer be able to deliver fuel during power cuts, unless they have an emergency generator. It will therefore be necessary to plan to refuel before any load shedding, to avoid running out of fuel.