The recent change in the speed limit on the Paris ring road is generating controversy in the French motorcycling community, effectively making the practice of lane splitting illegal.
The decision by Mayor Anne Hidalgo to reduce the speed limit to 50 km/h had an unexpected side effect: as French law only allows lane splitting on roads with a speed limit of 70 km/h or more, the measure ended up indirectly banning this practice.
Phillippe Monneret, a former rider and renowned motorcycle safety instructor, has publicly criticized the measure. The owner of the EasyMonneret school, well-known for being a staunch advocate of “safety first,” argues that lane splitting is good for rider safety and that making it illegal makes reality less safe for those on two wheels. This is not the first time the practice has generated debate in France.
In 2021, the French Federation of Revolted Motorcyclists had already protested against previous attempts at prohibition. Monneret advocates an urgent review of the legislation, arguing that two-wheeled vehicles are essential to reducing congestion in cities like Paris.