Many road users shy away from this road sign which is really not easy to understand.
Changes in the travel habits of the French have modified the urban landscape for several years. You only have to look at the number of workers who use soft mobility to get to the office to understand this great upheaval. If the car and public transport (RER, metro, bus, etc.) are still in the majority, alternative means of transport – and in particular the bicycle – have transformed the streets, particularly in large cities. Unfortunately, coexistence in cities between motorized vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians is not always a great success, far from it. And if everyone often believes they are in the right, learning the Highway Code remains today the best way to respect the rules and therefore to respect others.
To adapt to new mobility, the Highway Code has evolved in recent years. New traffic signs have emerged to further regulate the circulation of light vehicles but also to protect them. This is the case for panel B53, represented by a large blue square inside which there are a car, a bicycle and a pedestrian as well as in the bottom right corner a small white circle with 20 written inside. It is crossed diagonally by a wide red band which passes over the cyclist and the pedestrian. That’s a lot of information and multiple possibilities for interpretation, but this panel only has one explanation.
To begin with, who is it for? Due to the presence of a mini speed limit sign on the plate, the most common answer is that this sign requires motorists to drive less than 20 kilometers per hour for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. There is some truth but it is very incomplete. This sign actually concerns cyclists and pedestrians as well as motorists. This is a meeting zone sign in urban areas, these spaces established in France following Decree No. 2008-754 of July 30, 2008, which aim to allow everyone to share the road. All users therefore have the right to travel on the road, with absolute priority given to pedestrians, and the speed limit is set at 20 km/h for all types of vehicles (cars, taxis, buses, bicycles, etc.). .)
As for the red band which crosses the sign, it is simply to signify that it is the end of the meeting zone, and that more classic rules of the Highway Code take over once outside the perimeter. Most of these meeting zones have been created in city centers, most often in historic centers, or in places with a large number of pedestrians. They must allow road users to coexist in complete safety. You still need to know that they exist and know the meaning of the sign indicating them.
Especially since non-compliance with the rules governing meeting areas can result in very heavy penalties. If the authorized speed is exceeded, motorists and cyclists incur the usual penalties, ranging from 68 to…3,750 euros depending on the speed chosen, as well as the loss of one or more points on the driving license. Regarding failure to give priority to a pedestrian, the offense results in the withdrawal of 6 points on the license and a fine of 135 euros.