Deaths by drowning increase

Supervised water sports at Laguepie

One of the consequences of the hot weather is our desire to cool off in a pool or the sea. Yet in the one month 1st June to 5th of July rescuers dealt with 550 incidents of drowning, in which 121 people died.
Children dying in private pools always shocks us, but in fact the number of deaths increases with age, and the most at risk group is the over 65s, whose accidents happen largely in the sea. Infants under 6 are the smallest group, then the 6-25 age group.
Experts put these figures down to a number of factors. For example older people are more likely to over-estimate their ability to swim (if they can swim at all) and many drownings are a result of a health issue. Infant deaths are almost entirely the result of adult inattention.
But some believe that the number of people who can swim is very low, with one in six French people admitting that they are unable to swim. And with municipal pools being closed and the paucity of swimming lessons in school the problem is not being improved.
It takes a year and more than 4000 euros to obtain a life-saver's diploma and the numbers are always in short supply.
Parents are advised not to allow their children to swim in rivers and lakes without supervision by a "maitre-nageur" and to shun private pools without adequate protection - and to teach children to swim.
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New helmet law for bikes

From next week, 22nd March 2017, it will be mandatory for children under 12 years old to wear a helmet when riding a bike or being carried on one as a passenger. Any accompanying adult who allows children onto a bicycle without a helmet could be fined up to 135 euros.
We are reminded that this could catch out unwary holidaymakers and their children. Perhaps bicycle hire companies will insist on providing helmets to their clients.
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The gloves are on

From today (20th November) it is mandatory for motor cyclists and scooter riders to wear gloves (helmets are already required). And not just any old gloves, they must conform to a European norm, with labels showing the CE mark as well as a specific moto symbol.
The gloves must have knuckle protection and palm reinforcement. Passengers are also required to meet the safety standards.
Road safety campaigners point out that motor cycle accidents account for 43% of serious injuries, many of them to unprotected hands.
Failure to comply could lead to a 70 euro fine and loss of one point, and insurers may be stricter in providing cover in case of accidents. It is estimated that more than one motard in ten does not wear gloves.
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Company vans and cars targetted

It appears that drivers of firms' vehicles which are "flashed" for speeding often escape a fine or points deduction because the notice is generally paid by the employer (who may or may not demand reimbursement). Clearly when a vehicle is used by many drivers it may not always be possible to pin down the exact culprit, but the law is to be changed to compel employers to identify the driver.
Firms could be fined up to 1875 euros for non-compliance.
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Road deaths up 14% in March

Accident in Charante March 2016. AFP

There seems to be an ever increasing death toll on France's roads, with March deaths totalling 257; 32 more than the same month last year. The government has urged prefects to increase checks ahead of the school holidays, with the spring break about to start. It is the first time in 35 years that two consecutive years have shown an increase, and overall so far this year fatalities are up by 3.5%.
Generally France has "highway patrol" style police and there are suggestions that they are being re-deployed into other tasks as a result of the state of emergency.
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Animals on the roads spell danger

A few weeks ago we reported the fatal accident on the A68 when a car hit a sanglier and many readers will have experience of hitting deer or sanglier. Yesterday in the Gers a minibus carrying teenagers en route to a skiing holiday collided head on with a herd of horses.

photo: France 3

The front end of the vehicle crumpled as it is designed to do in a collision, but the rigid interior protected the occupants, who continued their journey later. Sadly two of the horses were killed.

On the same day a correspondent on one of the horse related sites we frequent reported that her two donkeys had been found safe after someone had deliberately cut through barbed wire fencing around her grazing. The incidents are not related, but show that livestock owners must be vigilent against not only accidental break-outs, but also against malicious intent. We are almost paranoid about our donkeys getting out as they do tend to stick to the roads, which is why we invested in more robust fencing last autumn.

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Undercover police patrols in the Tarn

The RD612/RD112 from Castres to Toulouse is the most dangerous road in the Tarn. One in three of the road deaths occur on this stretch, the latest just this week. If you google the road number you get a whole series of press reports of fatal crashes: April 2014; August 2014; September 2014; October 2015; December 2015 etc. Police in Albi are using an undercover vehicle (banalisé) to try to crack down on dangerous behaviour such as speeding and using telephones at the wheel. Between 40 and 50 vehicles per day are being controlled, not just on this road, but elsewhere in the Tarn. Especially dangerous at this time of year is the temptation to drive after drinking - the risk is not just that the flics will catch you, but that you could kill yourself, or worse someone else.
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Three per day

That's the grim number of people drowned in France in this summer. In the last 10 weeks 261 people have been drowned in accidents at the beach and in lakes (don't know if piscines are included). The very hot weather has naturally attracted people to the water and in popular places there are lifeguards, but bathers often swim in rough seas, or in lakes with hidden underwater hazards. Whether you can swim or not, take note of the flags, don't bathe in places you are not sure about and keep an eye on children.
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Beware slippery roads

The orange line marks a skid in Aveyron

The prolonged period of hot, dry weather means that road surfaces have become coated with a layer of rubber and exhaust particles. Given rain this can make the surfaces as slippery as ice in winter, causing more accidents.
Police and pompiers have been dealing with a spate of skids and collisions and warn motorists to be extra vigilent after a rain shower.
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Action against road deaths

Road deaths in 2014 were up by 120 over 2013, the first time in 12 years that there has been an increase. Bernard Cazeneuve, interior minister, announced a series of measures to be introduced gradually in an effort to halt this.
-Using a telephone at the wheel is already banned, but using headphones of any type will also be forbidden - including Bluetooth headpieces.
-The level of alcohol tolerated in inexperienced drivers (less than 2 years) will be halved.
-Parking near pedestrian crossings will be outlawed as one third of pedestrians killed are on such passages.
-Local authorities are to be encouraged to remove or protect obstacles which pose a danger - maybe even plane trees?
-Tinted windows are to be phased out as they prevent the police identifying drivers.
-Speed cameras are to be replaced with "front and back" directional versions.
The full list of 26 measures to be implemented over the next few years includes better collection of statistics to understand better the causes of accidents as well as concrete measures and can be consulted on the Ministry's web site.
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Mind how you drive in Aveyron

Worried about the number of fatal injuries on the roads of the Aveyron (34 killed in 2013, the worst year since 2000) the local police called in the "motoflics", policemen on motorcycles, from the Bordeaux brigade. In one week they issued 331 tickets for various offences, from speeding to not wearing seat belts. Using the telephone at the wheel is common, and 4 positive alcohol tests were taken. The offences were not confined to cars, with HGV and motor bikes also found to be breaking the law. With 11 deaths in the first 4 months of 2014, the department is well on the way to keeping up its grisly record. Interestingly no fatal injuries were recorded during the week the motards were visible on the roads. Police warn that Aveyronnais need to change their behaviour or the roads will remain a dangerous place to be.
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Malc says destroying the radar at Maleville shows the contempt some motorists there have for road safety.

Road deaths down in 2013

Figures to be released soon will show a reduction of about 11% in 2013 over the 3650 deaths in the previous year - this is a historic low.
In 2001 Jacques Chirac said that the 8000+ deaths that year was a cause of national shame and set about reducing the toll. Automatic speed cameras have reduced average speed limits from over 90kph to under 80kph, but the EU has set a target of under 2000 deaths by 2020. Unless new measures are introduced this will not be achieved. One solution proposed is to limit all 90kph roads to 80kph (50mph), which it is thought would save around 450 lives per year and to remove or put crash barriers around all vertical obstacles alongside the single carriageway roads (which is where 2/3rds of the fatalities occur).
Val says: I hope this will not mean cutting down even more plane trees - perhaps this is where the crash barriers will go.
Actually Malc did that post for me and when I said "I am not sure about the plane tree comment - do I put plane trees before life?"  Malc said "but they are one of the things that make France, France, along with the food and gun toting peasants!"  (gun toting peasants, harks back to an earlier post)
Why not give your opinion? although barriers round the trees must solve the dilemma.
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Think about having your chimney /flue cleaned.

Has your chimney been swept recently? Does your wood burner burn as well as it should?

I just spent a couple of hours helping someone sweep their chimney because their ramoneur was un contactable and I was glad I did because I really saw why chimneys need sweeping. The chimney had become so restricted that it was not possible to light the wood burner properly. It was full of lumps of tar all they way up - an ideal medium for a chimney fire. I broke most of the plastic bristles off two chimney brushes cleaning most of the tar out. My hand would just fit into the top of the flue evn though the tube was 150mm 

I am glad to say that we do not have that problem at home as most of the residue coats the chimney flue and then falls off into the T peice at the bottom as dry 'leaves'. I think the reason it does that is that I try to burn the wood hot and then let it die down, I believe the wood burner works most efficiently when it has an air flow, sadly ours are too powerful for the rooms so it is tempting to have them ticking over at full restriction. If the glass is getting coated then the chimney is probably the same.

Something for everyone to think about whilst they are keeping warm

Sent by James Sweeting

Val says   We had the same problem a few years ago with a wood burning stove and were told by the ramoneur  that it was caused by burning wood that was not properly dry and aged. Wood  needs to be 3 years old before burning. Another point is your insurance will only pay out if you have a fire, if you have a current certificate saying you have had your chimney cleaned.
James Says   The wood burned by the previously mentioned wood burner was definitely dry - well stored and over three years old so that wasn't the cause of the problem.

If you know your chimney is in a good state you don't need a certificate from a ramoneur because it won't catch fire.

Neville says    Neville agreed that wood should be dry before burning to avoid a build of tar in the chimney,however what happens with your insurance company if you have swept the chimney yourself and do not have a certificate to prove it?

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