What to do in case of an accident or a mechanical breakdown on a motorway in France?
| You should use the next emergency phone (orange post with the signal «
SOS » ) which is implanted every 2 kilometers, to alert the emergency
services. By pressing the button you will be put in contact with the motorway surveillance services, which will be able to locate you and ask for the intervention of the emergency services. For further tips for your safety please see http://www.autoroutes.fr/en/breakdown.htm
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The prices applied by these companies are fixed by law in France.
Moreover, only a few companies are authorized to intervene (public
authorities give an accreditation for 1 year).
Some services
are not included in the fixed price. These services will be invoiced
separately (and the price is not fixed by the government):
- the supply of spare parts ;
- time for additional working time to the half-hour included in the package ;
- towing beyond the 5 km after the nearest exit after the place of the breakdown.
For these services, the prices can be freely set but they need to be
clearly marked in the vehicle which intervenes on site. Also the
consumer needs to receive a detailed invoice.
See also (in French) :
(Please note that the current prices indicated on this website have changed since 07th October 2011 as a new law has been adopted. The costs have been updated from 114,50 € to 117 € and from 141,50 € to 144,50 €.)
The rules for these services vary in the different member states so check before leaving.
Example: Belgium :
In Belgium you have also orange emergency phones but the prices
applied by breakdown recovery companies are not fixed by Law. The trader
has only an obligation of information about the price applied for each
service. Also several companies provide assistance in case of a
breakdown. Therefore it might be interesting to check, if you are a
member of an automobile association in your country, if there are
agreements with Belgian recovery companies.
September 2011
...the efficiency of the compensation system in another EU member State is confirmed!
The fourth Motor Directive (2000/26/CE) has established a new indemnification system for the victims of car accidents in another member State. The objective of this guideline is to facilitate this settlement of claims, requiring the insurance companies to designate representatives in charge of the damage settlements in each of the other member States.
Illustration: A French consumer suffered a car accident in Germany, provoked by a driver insured in Germany. Instead of having to directly contact the opposing insurer in Germany with all the difficulties that this implies, this French consumer can from now on speak in his own language to the representative of the German insurance company in France.
The idea is good and a recent European Commission report just confirmed that the system provides efficient mechanisms for setting claims in respect of such accidents. This report shows that the insurance companies in most cases respect the delay of three months that was fixed in the guideline to address a reasoned reply to a compensation request.
To continue reading on the same subject:
Car accidents in another country of the European Union: some useful information
