After Pierre Palmade’s accident and the media coverage of several road accidents in which the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the idea was put forward. Elisabeth Borne will formalize on Monday the creation of a qualification of “road homicide”, but without creating a new offense or increasing the penalties incurred, Matignon said on Sunday.
The implementation of a “road homicide” is a demand of associations fighting against road violence and relatives of victims of road accidents. Currently, the acts of drivers causing the death of a person, even under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, fall within the scope of “manslaughter”.
A simple name change
“The families of victims are shocked by this qualification of manslaughter”, argued Matignon this Sunday, on the eve of announcements that Elisabeth Borne must make on Monday during an interministerial road safety committee. However, the government did not choose to create a new offense with heavier penalties, but opted for a simple change of name, which will also apply to injuries, described tomorrow as “road” and no longer “involuntary”. “.
“This qualification of road homicide does not change anything in terms of repression, on the other hand symbolically we come to mark that we hear the unacceptable character (of the word) involuntary”, argues the entourage of the Prime Minister. “We are in the” better support “the victims, better recognize them, not aggravate” the sanctions, we explained from the same source.
By becoming “road homicide” by a modification of the Penal Code, “manslaughter” committed by a driver will be punished up to 5 years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros. The penalties incurred will remain increased to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros with an aggravating circumstance, ten years and 150,000 euros if there are several.