We’ve been waiting for them all year, they’re finally here: summer vacation! And to make the most of it, everyone has their own idea of what pleasure is during this summer period: dressing light, indulging in a torrid passion, or having barbecues on the beach with friends.
But if they are given in the wrong place and at the wrong time, these little summer pleasures can go beyond the legal framework, and bring you trouble and a big fine. To avoid this inconvenience, 20 minutes reminds you of some summer prohibitions to avoid.
Wild camping
Discovering nature, steep coasts, long sandy beaches, and sleeping wherever they want, under the stars: for some, this is the ultimate freedom – and free – during the holidays. But if you have the right to sleep under the stars, exposed to the four winds and mosquitoes, pitching your tent or parking your motorhome elsewhere than in the places provided for this purpose is however prohibited, in accordance with article R 111-42 of the Town Planning Code. Wild camping is thus liable to a fine of 1,500 euros.
Driving in flip flops or flip flops
When the weather is nice and warm, our feet also want to get some air, in flip-flops or tap shoes. Until then, especially if you opt for the slide-sock combo, only the fashion font can fall on you on the overcoat. But if you take the wheel with these beach shoes, the story can take another turn. If the Highway Code does not specifically target flip-flops and other flip-flops, its article R 412-6 II provides that “every driver must be constantly in a condition and in a position to carry out conveniently and without delay all the maneuvers for which he is responsible” .
In the event of a roadside check, police and gendarmes may thus consider that these open and unfastened shoes may prevent the driver from carrying out his driving maneuvers correctly and in complete safety. An act falling under a second class offense and liable to a fixed fine of 35 euros, which can be reduced to 22 euros or increased to 75 euros depending on the payment period.
Walk around town shirtless
With the thermometer going crazy, it can be tempting, in the event of strong heat, to fall from the top when you walk around town. Or forgetting to put your t-shirt back on when leaving a beach bordering a town center on the coast. Basically, it’s not allowed. But local subtleties apply. According to the municipal decrees, the sanction can vary from one city to another. In Six-Fours-les-Plages, Bandol (Var) or Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), men who drop their shirt incur a fine of 38 euros, against 17 euros in Deauville and Trouville (Calvados).
For women, the note is saltier. Revealing one’s chest in the public space is considered by law as a “sexual exhibition imposed on the sight of others in a place accessible to the public gaze, punishable by one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros”. , according to article 222-32 of the Penal Code.
Light a campfire or barbecue on the beach
You probably already see yourself, after a nice day of swimming, continuing the festivities on the beach at nightfall around a campfire, singing Somewhere over the rainbow and other classics, or grilling some merguez, chipo or other vegetable sausages. It may be tempting, but it is above all prohibited by numerous prefectural decrees. In the event of a campfire on the beach, the fine incurred is 38 euros. A small amount, but the security risks are particularly high. The fine can increase if you consume alcohol and find yourself in a state of intoxication, which can earn you an additional fine of 150 euros.
Thus, for obvious reasons of fire risk, “it is prohibited at all times for all persons (…) to carry, light a fire or throw burning objects inside and up to a distance of 200 meters from exposed areas (woods, forests, plantations, reforestation, moors, scrubland and maquis)”, thus provides for a decree of March 12, 2015 relating to the prevention of forest fires in the municipalities of the department of Lozère. In the Var, a department particularly exposed to the risk of forest fire, “all use of fire is prohibited, from June 1 to September 30”, by the prefectural decree of May 16, 2013.
On the Atlantic coast, the ban on lighting a fire is notably dictated by the significant risk of falling on World War II munitions, and causing them to explode. A risk that may seem statistically low, but this scenario has unfortunately already occurred. In 2014, a man was killed on a beach on the island of Groix during the deflagration of ammunition caused by a campfire.
Make love on the beach
Summer, for many singles in search of chills and warmth, is the season to make beautiful encounters. And, why not, succumb to the laws of attraction by making love on the beach. But if on paper, the moment promises to be torrid, in practice, between the scratchy sand, the risk of being caught in the flag, exposure to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and an unwanted pregnancy. if we haven’t thought about condoms, the moment can turn into a disaster. And lead you to the prison box. This is, once again, a “sexual exhibition imposed on the sight of others in a place accessible to the public gaze”, an act “punished by one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros”, according to article 222-32 of the Penal Code.
Use a drone in public space
Making the crepe on the sand is not your thing. You like gadgets, video and unobstructed views, and filming with your drone seems to be the best option to combine all of this. Then again, that’s probably not the best inspiration. If you are on a deserted beach and far from civilization, you can let the high-flying filmmaker express himself, provided you remain cautious. On the other hand, if it is a beach that is part of a built-up area, then you are in a so-called “populated” area, and flying your drone there is strictly prohibited if it is moving “within or at a horizontal distance of less than 50 meters from an agglomeration”, or “at a horizontal distance of less than 150 meters from a gathering of people”, provides for a decree of December 17, 2015. And it is better not to play with fire: to after article L6232-4 Transport Code, the penalty incurred is one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros.