France

Part 1: Driving with a Disability

Are there any laws or regulations in your country that restrict whether people with disabilities can obtain a driving licence?

The decree of December 21, 2005 fixed, for the first time, "the list of medical conditions [or disabilities] incompatible with obtaining or maintaining of the driving licence “or which may give rise to the issue of a restricted driving licence ".

CLASS I: CARDIOVASCULAR PATHOLOGY The following cardiovascular pathologies may be a reason for temporary or permanent restrictions on driving. In these situations, compatibility with maintaining, issuing or renewing a driving licence can only be validated by monitoring these pathologies to ensure driving compatible with the requirements of road safety. The approved physician relies in providing his opinion on clinical data and the opinions of specialists. A limited-term suitability opinion may be issued in situations requiring regular medical monitoring.

CLASS II: VISUAL ACUITY Any candidate for a driving licence will have to undergo the appropriate examinations to ensure that he has visual acuity compatible with the driving of motor vehicles. If there is any reason to believe that the candidate does not have adequate vision, he should be examined by a competent medical authority. During this examination, particular attention should be paid to visual acuity, visual field, twilight vision, sensitivity to glare and contrasts and diplopia, as well as other visual functions that may compromise the safety of driving. For drivers of group 1 who do not meet the standards relating to visual field or visual acuity, the issue of a driving licence may be considered in "exceptional cases": the driver must then submit to the examination. '' a competent medical authority in order to prove that he does not have any other visual disturbance affecting in particular his sensitivity to glare and contrasts.

CLASS III: HEARING IMPAIRMENTS AND RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS Specialist advice and/or licence restrictions may be needed in the case of severe conditions.

CLASS IV: ADDICTIONS, NEUROLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS The greatest vigilance is recommended given the importance and seriousness of these problems in terms of road safety. If necessary, specialist advice will be taken.

CLASS V: LOCOMOTIVE DISABILITIES The assessment of physical disabilities must be based primarily on findings to determine whether the disability is likely to prevent an efficient and rapid manoeuvre and interfere with the handling of controls in all circumstances, and especially in emergency. A practical test is, if necessary, carried out. For A1, A2 and A licences, in exceptional cases where medical aptitude can be considered, the opinion of the driving licence and road safety inspector will be obtained during a practical test prior to the examination, or granting the driving license (he will be contacted before any decision of fitting out): the efficiency of the prosthetic devices and the fitting out of the vehicle recommended by the doctors are assessed and checked by the technical expert. He will ensure that with these devices the assessment of medical capacity and behaviour confirms that driving is not dangerous. Consultation between the doctor and the latter, prior to all planning decisions in difficult cases (or even in the event of divergent opinions), will be considered if necessary, in accordance with the regulations in force. When the disability is stabilised, and in the absence of any other condition that could give rise to a temporary permit, the permit is issued on a permanent basis. The automatic clutch or automatic gear change, when they constitute the only necessary adaptation, are not considered as modifications and authorize the attribution of permits B1 and B, restrictive mention: "adapted clutch" and / or "change suitable speed "(codes 10 and / or 15).

CLASS VI: METABOLIC PATHOLOGY AND TRANSPLANTATION This includes kidney dialysis, diabetes, and transplant recipients. In all these cases specialist medical advice is required.

Are there any restrictions on the type of vehicle or adaptation to controls that can be driven by a person with a disability?

A distinction must be made between wheelchair users (“UFR”) and others with a disability /people with reduced mobility (called PRMs).

The UFR will generally access from the rear of a vehicle and will go to a location(s) which will be equipped with anchor points for wheelchairs and belt (s) 3 points for UFR. This location must have a surface of 70cm width and 120cm length totally free by UFR. If the vehicle does not have an access height of 1.25m and an interior height of 1.35m, it will have to be "lowered", that is to say the vehicle floor will be dug, to achieve these values.

The UFR may drive a vehicle in a wheelchair or go and stay in a wheelchair in the first row passenger seat provided that the vehicle has the necessary height and floor space from the vehicle access to these seats (or is exempt from having these minimum heights). In most cases, the UFRs access the vehicle by ramp or tail lift devices. PRMs are people who need easy access devices to get into a vehicle (steps, handles, etc.) and possibly special seats to sit in the vehicle. Generally:

the PRM will be seated on a seat anchored in the vehicle, original or adapted seat,
the UFR will remain in his wheelchair, the wheelchair then fixed using special anchoring points and straps in the vehicle at a specific location, anchoring of the wheelchair completed with a 3-point seat belt for the UFR, even if certain UFR (paraplegics) have the physiology allowing them to access the driving position.

The possible arrangements relate mainly to:

lowering the car floor to allow entry into the passenger compartment with a wheelchair and the chair fixings,
possibility of reversing the pedals to place the accelerator pedal to the left (hemiplegia or amputation of a leg)
modify the braking and acceleration systems by lever or steering wheel circles (for people with disabilities of the lower limbs),
setting up a remote control system operating by radio waves, by pressing the dedicated keys such as the horn, headlights, windshield wipers, etc. (for people with hemiplegia, for example), with the possibility of extending the pedal (small people) or drive entirely at the foot (handicap of the upper limbs).

These arrangements require detailed work, in conjunction with the disabled client, the doctor attached to the Prefecture of the client's department of residence, who, depending on the disability, will assign a code corresponding to a range of solutions, and very often the occupational therapist who treated the client, then the occupational therapist dependent on the Departmental House of Handicapped Persons who will ensure the consistency of each solution proposed by several developers put in competition, and finally , in the case of the disabled driver, a driving school having means of training the driver to train him in the device (s) with which the driving position will be fitted.

If you have answered yes to Question 4 above, do the same restrictions apply to a person with a disability visiting your country in their own or a rented vehicle? Please give details

All EU / EEA member countries have a harmonized driving licence. Consequently, European nationals have an easily readable driving licence when traveling in the EU / EEA (the obligation, for holders of EU / EEA license travelling in France, to respect the arrangements and restrictions appearing on these licences is recalled in article 2.1.3. of the decree of February 8, 1999 setting the conditions for recognition and exchange of driving licenses issued by states belonging to the European Union and to the European Economic Area).

With regard to foreign drivers, two situations should be distinguished, because there are no specific regulations dealing with the issue of foreigners having a converted vehicle and wishing to travel in France:

On a tourist trip, they are authorised to drive in France with their foreign licence without specific conditions.

Longer stay: they are treated like any foreigner wishing, depending on the reason for stay, to settle in France. The rules may vary depending on the country of origin and any existing agreements between France and the country of the foreign driver

Your attention is however drawn to the fact that the driver traveling with a foreign driving licence issued outside the EU / EEA (accompanied by an international licence or a translation if it is not written in French) is required in all cases "to observe the restrictions or other arrangements specified to take account of their disability. See article 3 II B of the decree of January 12, 2012 setting the conditions for the recognition and exchange of driving licenses issued by states not belonging to the European Union or the European Economic Area).

Please give details of the section responsible in your Ministry for driver licensing and vehicle adaptations for people with disabilities. Please also include any websites which give details of the official national policy.

For further information from the French national government regarding driver licensing and vehicle adaptations, please visit the following website:

https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/accessibilite

Part 2: Parking Cards for people with a disability

Does your country have a national scheme of parking concessions for people with a disability?

Yes

Which categories of people with a disability are eligible for the parking card? Please tick all that apply

Anyone with significant and long term effect on their ability to walk or move independently and those dependent on an accompanying person

Are there parking spaces reserved for people with a disability?

Yes

If you have answered yes, where are the reserved parking spaces?

On street (public and private) and in all areas open to the public

What concessions does the parking card give people witha disability?

Free and without time limit, though some local authorities may fix a time limit of not less than 12 hours.

Are there any regions or cities in your country that do not recognise the parking card, or which have their own, different system?

N/A

Are the same concessions available to individuals with a disability visiting your country?

Yes

If you have answered yes to Question 13 above, please tell us if there is a formal system of reciprocal recognition of parking cards from other countries?

Parking cards issued by the authorities of the other EU member states

If you have answered yes to Question 14 above please tell us:

Which countries' parking cards are recognised (please list)

N/A

What other proof of eligibility should a visitor with a disability carry with them? (Please give details)

N/A

Are there minimum dimensions for the size of a parking space reserved for a person with a disability?

3.3 m x 5.0 m

Please give details of the section in your ministry responsible for parking concessions for people with a disability

Name of Department/Ministry: Ministère des Transports

Name of section responsible: Direction Générale des Infrastructures, des Transports et de la Mer/ Direction des Services de Transport/Sousdirection des transports ferroviaires et collectifs et des déplacements urbains

phone number for queries: 01 40 81 73 12

Please include a link to any websites which give details of the official national policy on parking concessions for people with a disability.

Part 3: Hiring a car if you have a disability

Does your country have any laws which require hire car companies to make adapted vehicles available for people with disabilities to rent?

Where are such vehicles available? Please tick all that apply

But some are available from city centre outlets and on websites (eg. wheeliz)

Please give details of the section responsible in your ministry for laws/policies on adapted hire cars.

N/A

Part 4: Further Information

Please give contact details (email, phone, weblinks) for any sections or organisations which have supplied information for your response to this survey if they are not already listed.

N/A

Back to home