Latest news with #François-NoëlBuffet
Local France
04-06-2025
- Health
- Local France
Spike in road deaths in France involving ‘voitures sans permis'
'For the second year, the number of people killed on the roads [in metropolitan France] remains below 3,200,' the Interior Ministry's François-Noël Buffet said in a statement. 'These results are to the credit of all road users who respect the rules and all professionals committed to ensuring their safety and maintaining the roads, sometimes at the risk of their own lives.' In France, 3,193 people died on the roads (2,465 men and 728 women) last year - excluding deaths in France's overseas territories - 26 more than in 2023, while the estimated number of serious injuries remained stable at around 16,000. Compared to 2019 – the reference year for 2020-2030 – the number of deaths is down 1.6 percent. Advertisement More than three-quarters of those killed and seriously injured in 2024 were men, the figures showed, with speed and alcohol cited as the leading causes of fatal accidents. Authorities are calling on road users to exercise 'the utmost caution' as the summer vacation season approaches. Beneath the headline figures, the data revealed a sharp increase in the number of deaths involving small voitures sans permis, sometimes known as voiturettes . These are small, lightweight vehicles that are subject to strict restrictions on size and speed, and cannot be used on motorways or high-speed roads that do not require the driver to hold a full driving licence. READ ALSO Meet France's tiny cars that you don't need a licence to drive The figures remain small – a total 34 deaths involving voiturettes were recorded in 2024, an increase of 48 percent year on year. And the increase in the number of deaths involving voiturettes coincides with a marked rise in the number of vehicles on France's roads. These 'cars' – technically they are quadricycles, or four-wheel mopeds – have gained something of a following among young people in towns and cities, in part because it's legal to drive them from the age of 14. Since January 1st, 2017, these vehicles are limited to an empty mass of 425kg, must have a small fuel engine or an electric engine limited to 6 kW, and can carry no more than two people, including the driver. Their maximum speed is limited to 45km/h, and they cannot be more than three metres in length. READ ALSO Swearing, honking and tailgating: French drivers ranked among worst in Europe An increasing number of city-dwellers who just need a runaround for local trips are attracted to them because of their price and also because they're easy to park. Between January and July 2024 alone, more than 15,400 license-free cars were registered in France – driven by the popular electric Citroën Ami, of which some 4,720 vehicles were sold in the first half of last year alone. Advertisement In 2023, some 9,556 new Amis were bought in France. The kooky little vehicle made up 36 percent of all new voitures sans permis on the roads, and 82 percent of electric-powered ones. The Aixam S10 was the second most-popular such vehicle in the first half of 2024, selling 4,661 cars. READ ALSO 'They have a death wish': The verdict on French drivers in rural France These vehicles used to be quite big in rural France, but because they have a roof, and windows, and four wheels, they are considered safer than mopeds for young people looking to get around in urban environments, so you are likely to see them taking up car parking spaces in and around lycées, for example. The Ami sells in France for €8,990 – though you can arrange a location longue durée deal from €44.99 per month with a €2,000 first payment – a price point that also makes them popular with younger road users.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
French Interior Minister visits India to boost security & counter-terror partnership
François-Noël Buffet, French Minister, attached to the Ministre d'État , Minister of the Interior, will visit India on Wednesday, to inaugurate the second edition of MILIPOL India, along with Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs of India. India-France security partnership and counter-terror cooperation would get a boost with this visit. During his visit, Buffet will pay tribute to India's homeland security forces, laying a wreath at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi. Minister Buffet will then take part in the MILIPOL trade show to underscore the Indo-French strategic partnership in homeland security: cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organized crime (cybercrime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, etc.), irregular migration and civilian protection. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Never Put Eggs In The Refrigerator. Here's Why... Car Novels Undo Minister Buffet will meet exhibitors, notably from France. He will reiterate his support for the development of exchanges in homeland security, for which there is considerable potential. France's expertise in homeland security was particularly demonstrated during the organisation of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Minister will then visit the NSG headquarters to see operational demonstrations by members of the force and tour the National Bomb Data Center (NBDC). Live Events MILIPOL, founded in Paris in 1984, is today the only international network of trade fairs dedicated exclusively to homeland security. It is organised by CIVIPOL, the French Ministry of the Interior's international cooperation operator, and marketed by Comexposium, the world's third-largest organiser of professional events. The MILIPOL network has been gradually extended to the Near and Middle East (Doha in 1996), Southeast Asia (Singapore in 2015) and Asia-Pacific (New Delhi in 2023). MILIPOL India, being held from 23 to 25 April 2025 in New Delhi, is the second edition of this trade show in India. Co-chaired by the French and Indian ministers of Home Affairs, the number of exhibitors is up by almost 20% this year.
