UK businesses transporting goods by road through France are being warned that new safety regulations introduced on 1 January should be adhered to, or face fines.
The new legislation applies to all vehicles in France weighing more than 3.5 tonnes. Vehicles need to have stickers clearly displayed on both the sides and rear informing others of the vehicle’s blind spots. Additionally, motor vehicles should be constructed or fitted with one or more indirect vision safety systems, such as mirrors, with a field of view that does not include a blind spot likely to obscure a vehicle about to pass it. Controls for such devices should also be easily accessible to the driver while the vehicle is in motion.
Fleet operators are warned that mirrors alone are not enough to eliminate blind spots.
