Helmet stickers.France?
 

Hi,does anyone know if you have to have the reflective sticker on your bike helmet when travelling in France.I was told it's for french nationals only.Any idea's? cheers Joe.

Reply France
 

I was there in Oct 2016 had no problem but did not get stopped

Here's a bit of interesting French law for you. The law states that all helmets worn on French territory must be homologated. When the international law on homologation came in, only France signed up for the option of making reflective stickers obligatory.

When you buy a helmet in France you either get stickers in the box or the retailer will give them to you.

According the legal section at the FFMC ( France's premier motorcycle club and legal advice centre) the law applies to ''EVERYONE'' who rides on French territory, but they don't know anyone from outside France who has been fined or prosecuted for not carrying them.

There is an arguement that as no other country requires them, which is true, then why should I put them on my helmet? The law, however, is written into France's ''Code de la route'' ( Highway code), and the Highway code applies to everyone.( Just as it does in any other country)

Your decision, however a biker down in poor visibility is much easier to spot if stickers are applied.

Which is basically why I have stuck them onto my helmets: because it is a good idea, even if the rider is not down but simply making progress along the highway, in foggy conditions for example (side stickers as well as fore and aft).

Years ago I bought some of the reflective material and put it on my old helmet.

Fairly recently I bought a brand new helmet and there were purpose designed stickers along with all the other stuff that comes with a new helmet; I imagine that the helmet manufacturers cannot be sure where their products will end up being sold, across the whole of Europe or beyond so it may be that every new helmet includes stickers now?

Anyway, that's a couple of pence worth; "le flick" have other things to work on - I think the nation is still in a state of emergency following Charlie Hebdo et al?

Thanks for that.Kind of clear's things up for me.

I've ridden in France quite a bit and this has never been an issue. Like everything else bike related, if you're riding sensibly why would anyone stop you and have an issue with helmet stickers? The problem comes when you've done something stupid and the Police add that to th last! :oops2:

Let's not forget that in France, the rider must carry on the bike or luggages a high visibility vest to be worn if the bike is stopped on the roadside. If stopped by cops, they may also ask you to show your vest. And you should also wear homologated gloves. If you wear glasses and ride in Spain, you must carry a spare set of glasses with you.

Several years ago, when this rule first came into effect, I visited a motorcycle dealer just inside the French border to purchase some reflective stickers.

The dealership had a huge roll of them under the counter, and gave me 4 stickers and refused to take any money in return.

So - it's pretty painless to comply with the rule. Personally, I think the stickers are a good idea.

Michael

The only time u r likely to come a cropper with the local gendarmerie will be thru serious excess speed, overtaking or crossing a solid white line and excess alcohol............ Which seems fair enough to me. Other then that I would not worry, they are generally an approachable bunch due to the fact that most Brits chat to them and are polite as opposed to the locals that consider them to be too thick to join the military.

For your interest, the Gendarmerie ARE part of the military, and are actually a more difficult part of the military establishment to join as the application examinations are more public exposure involved and knowledge and application of the law at a much higher level. They aren't stupid and the majority of them also speak English. The Civil Police you see around are not part of the military, and the Douane ( customs) are the most feared, as they have the authority to arrest and lock you up before asking questions and without having to give a reason.

Pongo my old chap that is an opinion of some French people Not mine.... If you ever feel inclined to read the French Joe cartoons then u will see that Le Flic are certainly the butt of quite a few jokes. Certainly in the area I stay in they are not liked at all, prob should of said too thick to be a soldier is what is often said, am assuming this is French sarcasm but my language skills don't stretch that far. Anyway I keep out of it as I was both at one time or another........ Also thick as I volunteered for something Once doh

Hmm, interesting post there.

Anyhoo, this is a link I saved a while ago that gives a guide to the various regulations you should be aware of when riding in various European countries. It may not be authoritative but it seems to me like useful guidelines. Enjoy.

Riding your motorcycle abroad - FEMA

I recently rode from the north to the south of France without any issue, but i suppose for piece of mind and a few quid on stickers it worth it.

Tom

You're legally required to have them on, yes, but I don't know anyone here that has been checked for that... If you're respectfull and well equipped for riding, the cops are usually nicer to you. But it doesn't cost anything and you can find them in black on the internet, if you don't want to have white stickers on your badass black helmet ! :-P

Regarding the "state of emergency", I've never felt a difference after it has been applied... (but I'm leaving far from the capital)

The link to the FEMA website has changed - here is the new link to the European countries and the rules of the road.

And what a mish-mash it is, with stuff that's legal in one country outlawed fifty miles down the road when you enter another jurisdiction. Stickers here, headlights there, filtering in this jam but not in that one, hi-viz in your pocket or not. I thought the EU was supposed to harmonise all of this stuff (no, don't answer, I realise how ridiculous that reads). And that's without getting a tiz about which emission zone you can enter and which ones you can't, and where you have to pay and where you don't. A couple of the old clunkers that I buzz about on are old enough to qualify for emission zone exemptions in some places but not in others, but trying to find where I can legally smoke and where I can't is incredibly hard. As far as I can see Fema doesn't mention rules for classic stuff (I didn't look that hard though)

I have come across a website that covers the whole of the EU (I think) - it is here. It is not very user friendly but the information about emission zones and other restrictions is in there - though somewhat buried. The data on the website is copyrighted but is available for PRIVATE use free of charge and to use the site you have to confirm that it is for private use only - I could not find out how to register.

As a rough guide to the site there is a planning section where you can enter the cities you are going through on your journey and from there you can find out the restrictions in terms of emissions and other access restrictions. It is a bit clunky and no doubt it will improve with time.

I have put the two links for FEMA and Urban Access into a new thread on the trip planning / trip paperwork section of the website so that it is easier for people to find rather than in an obscure, though related thread.

https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/trip-paperwork/european-emissions-zones-restrictions-requirements-104409#post636729

The EU has never dictated domestic law to any of its members, that's a fallacy (among others) that was put about by the brexiters to sell their fantasy. EU law is first and foremost about harmonising standards that affect trading between countries. Which is why you'll see things like vehicle construction and emission standards mandated across the whole bloc, but not speed limits, alcohol limits, criminal law, etc.

And that's why I wrote "no, don't answer, I realise how ridiculous that reads" Attempts at humour are usually the first thing lost in translation :rofl: In the real world I'm well aware of the way the EU works, what its remits are and the limits to its impact on national decisions.

In the past twelve months I've done over 4K km in France riding provincial roads without any hassle from the French police. Even at traffic stops at the Spanish border they had no interest in a chat and rumble through my belongings.

Spain is interesting, I've come across a fair few traffic stops where they might ask you if you have documentation but as soon as they realise conversing is going to be problematic they'll let you on your way so just make sure to forget any local phrases you've picked up on the way.

Peculiarly, in Spain hearing protection is outlawed yet at every stop I had to make a point of removing mine to hear the amicable man in uniform and wasn't troubled for it.

oh and "no equipment with a screen must be present within the driver’s field of vision while driving." I guess they chose to ignore my GoPro, Phone and the bike's TFT display. Spain: https://travelinformation.eu/spain-traffic-rules/

I've heard of music headphones being banned in some countries, don't think that includes hearing protection. And the below link from FEMA makes no mention of any rather nonsensical rule about screens ;)

https://www.femamotorcycling.eu/cons...riding-abroad/

From the link:

There are more surprising laws across Europe, e.g. ones forbidding GoPro mounts on helmets.

In Chile it is being discussed to put the motorcycles registration number also on the back of the helmet …

That sounds like a hassle when you're riding multiple bikes, how many plates can the back of a helmet fit :(

It is supposed to lower the number of assaults committed by the so called “motochorros”. But on the bottomline a very bad idea. Hope they won’t do it.