Is there a date on that article ? The mandatory wearing of a hi viz jacket on a motorbike and having reflective material on your helmet was shelved less than 4 years ago. In the LED age, carrying replacement bulbs is often not possible because you replace the unit so I'd love to see them enforce that. The one thing I do know French police do check is your licence which a lot of people in the UK for some reason don't usually carry with them. Andy
The article says the rules are coming in in Jan 2016, but there is no compulsion to wear hi-viz on your bike, only to have one with you in the event of breakdown. Not wearing one, if broken down and sauntering about hard shoulders, embankments, central reservation etc.. will lead to a fine, as will not having one available to wear.
Don't believe everything that you read on the internet! While the article is informative, it is not perfect. There is no law that says that you must carry spare bulbs on a bike or in a car. There is, however, a law that is the same as the UK that says all lights fitted must be working. The helmet sticker thing is also scaremongering as it is not enforced for French bikers. In 11 years of biking here we have never had any and never heard of anyone being stopped for not having helmet stickers. I fail to see how they could enforce this for foreign (UK) registered bikers as the EU says that if you are legal in the UK then you are legal as a visitor in any other EU country. The gloves and jacket thing is just stupidity. When I am out and about in the summer in my sandals, shorts and T shirt, I will be happy to wear the thin cotton gloves (well they are not talking about any glove standard as far as I know) but there is no storage space for the jacket on my 848. I guess that I'll just have to pay the €11 fine. I bet that neither me nor my wife will ever get stopped and asked for it though. Edited to say that the new rules are from Jan 1st 2016. The same date that French registered bikes can now be full power.
My new helmet came from France yesterday and it came with 4 reflective stickers and said if in France you need them stuck on.
But what ever your helmet said it does not enforce the law. Not sure why anyone would buy a helmet in France when there is 20%VAT on helmets in France but none in the UK. Most of the French bikers in our local club order new helmets from the UK because they are 20% cheaper.
