• A year ago, the city of Lyon lowered the speed to 30 km/h for 84% of the lanes. The aim is to reduce accidents and calm the city by also lowering the level of noise pollution.
  • For Stéphane, municipal police officer for seventeen years, and on "the ground every day", this measure has "a positive effect". According to the town hall, accidents decreased by 22% between 2019 and 2022. The number of hospitalized injuries has also decreased, by 40 per cent.
  • This regulation is part of a more global approach of "zero fatalities and serious injuries" in the longer term. A device for which the metropolis of Lyon is also committed.

Stéphane placed himself at the beginning of the Herbouville course in Lyon. Armed with binoculars, he will control the speed of motorists driving on this axis limited to 30 km / h for a year, like 84% of the city. "It's a lane lined with houses, with a bus lane that is also used by bicycles and scooters," he says. The limitation is completely justified, it has a positive effect on the safety of all road users. »



With his team of bikers, he carries out on average "four to five control operations per day" on "several points". "Depending on the time slots and locations, we draw up more or less verbalizations," he says. The most impressive speeding is usually on "major roads such as platforms" at times when "there are fewer people". "You don't stop someone for 32 km/h. But just yesterday, we stopped a person who was driving at 114 km/h, instead of 30 km/h! At 12:15! " he exclaims. In this case, licence retention is automatic.

The "city 30" for the "general interest"

According to this officer who has been officiating in the municipal police for seventeen years, the offences would be more committed by "people who do not live in the agglomeration". "But as soon as it says 30 km/h on the entrance sign to the city, it means that it extends to almost all lanes," he notes. He added: "By being on the pitch every day, I think that, overall, Lyon have reduced their speed." Within thirty minutes, five people had been arrested that day.

Including Véronique, controlled at 61 km / h. "The policeman is right, it is marked everywhere," she concedes, justifying herself "to be late". "I didn't know," she says. I live in Caluire, I rarely go to the city. Usually, I pay attention. Especially since there are bicycles and scooters everywhere, we are forced to be careful. As "most of the time", according to the police officer, this motorist admits his fault.

But to those who would complain, Valentin Lungenstrass, deputy mayor, delegate for mobility, pleads "the general interest". "You have to think about the collective sense," he continues. This measure was put in place to live in a safer space and only works with the efforts that everyone can make." He recalls: "When a car hits a pedestrian, he has an 80% chance of dying. At 30 km/h, this risk is drastically reduced to 10%. »

The city of Lyon on the right track

To ensure this good conduct, the municipality has drastically increased the controls carried out. "We were at 40 operations in February 2022, we are at 350 for this year," says Mohamed Chihi, deputy security. He understands that it is difficult to make links between the number of fines (554 in one year) and compliance with the regulations since controls are more frequent.

But the city's goal is on the right track. According to its figures, accidents fell by 22% between 2019 and 2022. The number of hospitalized injuries has also decreased, by 40 per cent.

The same results apply to the metropolis of Lyon, which is also committed to the "city 30" system. Today, eighteen municipalities, out of fifty-nine, apply this regulation, which then concerns 45% of the population. The goal is to reach two-thirds by the end of the mandate, said the vice-president of roads and mobility, Fabien Bagnon. "It's a unifying subject," he says.

Zero fatalities and zero serious injuries

The two communities go further in their commitment and aim for "zero fatalities and serious injuries". Beyond zone 30, the measures taken to meet this "long-term objective", concern the development of roads with "more safe cycle paths", the creation of "pedestrian zone" as in Presqu'île, in addition to "security around schools", quotes the mayor of Lyon, Grégory Doucet.

The elected officials are now calling on the State to deploy radars in urban areas in order to "enforce the device as well as possible".

  • Society
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  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
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