Eure Joins Rollback as 52 French Departments Restore 90 km/h on Parts of Secondary Roads

Overview

• The Eure department confirmed a return to 90 km/h after a five‑year before‑after review reported one fewer death but more injuries, with officials citing only a modest local drop in average speeds and added signage costs.
• Since a 2019 mobility law devolved authority to departments, a majority have partially reinstated 90 km/h, covering about 61,000 km of roads, while only eight have applied the change across their entire networks.
• Road‑safety groups reference national and academic findings that the 80 km/h measure reduced average speeds and saved an estimated 300–350 lives, noting evidence that small speed reductions correlate with markedly lower mortality; provisional 2025 data record 3,260 deaths in metropolitan France.
• Motorist advocates argue the 2018 change had little effect on behavior, citing figures showing average speeds shifting from about 82.5 km/h to 82.1 km/h and urging limits aligned with the 85th‑percentile method.
• Recent moves include the Gers restoring 90 km/h on 220 km from February 16 and Aveyron extending 90 km/h to the RD888 in early February, while departments such as Haute‑Garonne keep 80 km/h and highlight concentration of fatalities on a small number of high‑risk corridors.