British drivers taking their car across the Channel to France this summer have been reminded that they will need to display a clean air sticker if they plan to enter one of several cities, or face a fine of up to €180 (£154).
In a similar move to the clean air and ultra-low emission zones that have been introduced in the UK, France has more than 12 zones, including Paris and several others cities popular with UK tourists.
The RAC has warned all cars and motorbikes entering such zones across the Channel – even those from abroad – need to display a sticker, called a Crit’Air vignette, denoting their vehicle’s emissions.
Drivers need to apply via the official French government website before they leave home, as the stickers are not available locally, the motoring group warned.
The RAC said travellers also need to be aware that they may face restrictions on when they can drive into cities, depending upon their car’s emissions.
There are six categories in the Crit’Air vignette system, from green for the cleanest vehicles to dark grey for the dirtiest. The certificate you receive relates to the vehicle’s Euro emissions standards. Even those with a 100% electric car need to display the sticker.
View image in fullscreenA Crit’Air sticker. The system relies on colour coding according to the vehicle’s Euro emissions standards. Photograph: SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Drivers heading to Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Montpellier, Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, and several other cities, risk the fine if they don’t display one.
Those heading across the channel but staying away from the affected cities are not required to display one.
The plan is to eventually have a low emission zone in every urban area with a population greater than 150,000 people. They cost €4.61 including postage, for each vehicle, but drivers should allow several days for delivery.
RAC Europe spokesperson, Rod Dennis, said it’s vital anyone travelling to Europe checks whether they need an emissions-based windscreen sticke.
He said: “Every driver visiting a region covered by the Crit’Air scheme needs to ensure they’ve bought the right sticker for their vehicle before they leave the UK. Stickers correlate with the Euro emissions category of the vehicle they’re driving and are valid for the life of the vehicle.
“Anyone without the right sticker or driving a non-compliant car into a low-emissions zone, risks an on-the-spot fine.”
The €68 penalties are issued by local police officers in France, but next year camera-based enforcement will begin, meaning maximum fines will rise to a holiday budget-busting €750.
“As time goes on, the regulations also get stricter and within a few years all but zero-emission vehicles will be banned from some city centres,” said Dennis.
Not all vehicles are eligible. Cars registered before January 1997, and motorbikes and scooters registered before June 2000, are not, and cannot be driven at all where restrictions apply – causing a problem for owners of some classic motorbikes and cars.
Meanwhile, drivers visiting cities in other European countries, including Spain, Italy and Switzerland, are also advised to check whether they’re affected by any low emission zones before embarking on their trips.
