Why so many police checks on drivers in Dordogne - can you be stopped without a reason?
‘We want to make dangerous drivers worried’, says police chief
Checks come following a recent spike in road deaths in the department
Obatala-photography/Shutterstock
The number of police stops on Dordogne roads has increased significantly since the departmental prefect signed an emergency bill to improve road safety two weeks ago.
Under the Plan d'action départemental pour la restauration de la sécurité du quotidien (PADRSQ- Departmental action plan to restore everyday safety) introduced on February 21, the Prefect of the Dordogne has ordered police to perform more roadside checks, with priority given to speeding and the use of drugs and alcohol.
The introduction of the PADRSQ follows a recent spike in road deaths, which increased by 20% between 2023 and 2024, rising from 31 to 37 in the department.
The PADRSQ, which is supported by €100,000 in state funding allowing the Périgueux gendarmerie to recruit additional staff, is concentrated on main roads.
“We want to make dangerous drivers worried”, says Dordogne police chief colonel Jean-Philippe Demange on March 7, as the director of the Prefect’s office, Marin Lassalle, visited a police operation on the A89 near Sourzac (Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine).
The operation stopped 150 vehicles and identified five with invalid roadworthiness certificates (contrôle technique), immobilising one.
“We want to put blue on the roads so that once again there is fear of the police,” said Mr Lassalle.
Read more: Record number of driving fines in France confirmed in latest official report
Police stops in France - what you need to know
Police can stop drivers wherever and whenever they like, without any predetermined reason.
Any driver can also be subject to a roadside check for documents.
Gendarmerie and police can ask to see your ID or driving licence, for example, and you must show them the documents they request.
In the case of speed or licence plate checks, they are allowed to hide, and check your vehicle or speed without making their presence known.
However, police must always use their equipment properly to ensure an accurate speed check; for example, there must be nothing obstructing their vision between their binoculars and your car, and a speed camera must be positioned a certain distance from the road, in order to get a reliable result.
Police are also allowed to breathalyse any driver for alcohol levels, “either on the instructions of the public prosecutor or on their own initiative, even in the absence of a prior offence or accident”, states Article L234-9 of the Code de la route..
Failure to stop for police carries a risk of up to two years in jail, a €15,000 fine, the suspension of your driving licence, and even the confiscation of your vehicle. You may also be required to take a driving safety course at your own expense.
Drivers should be able to show:
Note that since April 2024, it is no longer required to carry an insurance certificate. Police can check insurance status by scanning a vehicle’s number plate and consulting the electronic Fichier des véhicules assurés.
Driving a vehicle without a valid driving licence for the vehicle in question is punishable by one year's imprisonment and a fine of €15,000, states Article L221-2 of the Code de la route. Using a falsified licence can be punished by five years in jail and a fine of €75,000.
Failure to comply with officer requests during roadside checks can lead to having six points deducted from your licence and a fine of €3,750, as well as up to three months imprisonment.
Your licence may also be suspended.
