Warning to Brits driving in France risking £150 fines

Brits driving in certain areas of France this summer could face fines of up to £154 if they do not buy a windscreen emissions sticker before their trip, the RAC has warned. Last month the number of areas in France requiring drivers to display a Crit’Air sticker rose to 12, with Bordeaux and Clermont-Ferrand being added.

Drivers who fail to abide by the rule face a fine of 68 euros (£58), which rises to 180 euros (£154) if not paid within 45 days. From next year fines will increase to up to 750 euros (£640) from next year, when camera-based enforcement begins.

The Crit’Air stickers must be ordered in advance from a French government website and cannot be bought locally. They cost 4.61 euros which is around £4).

Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features.

Motorists are advised by the RAC to avoid third-party websites which charge up to six times as much. There are six different types of sticker, based on a vehicle’s air pollutant emissions.

The cleanest electric and hydrogen vehicles require green “0” stickers, while at the opposite end of the spectrum the most polluting diesel vehicles need “5” stickers. Some areas of France restrict vehicle movements based on their sticker.

Paris has the strictest regime with some roads at specific times only open to cars bearing “0”, “1” or “2” stickers. The RAC warned that other European countries such as Spain and Switzerland also have increasingly strict emissions regulations.

One country’s emissions sticker is not valid in another, so many UK tourists embarking on road trips covering several destinations will need to have multiple stickers. RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Many UK drivers will be familiar with clean air zones