ROME – “The car hurts”. This is more or less the disclaimer that car manufacturers will have to affix in France, starting from March, to advertisements for their vehicles. Kind of like the one on cigarette packs. The legislation provides that this disclaimer is present in all advertisements, including those on television or radio and that it is clearly visible or hearable by users.
The basic concept of this legislation is that car manufacturers will have to tend to discourage the use of cars by signaling the possibility of using alternative means, such as cycling, public transport or walking. But there is more: the option of car sharing and car pooling must also be clearly indicated.
The legislation provides heavy penalties for car manufacturers that do not comply with this provision: in addition to the cancellation of advertising or radio-television commercials, a fine of 50 thousand euros may be imposed for each violation.
The package against the use of private vehicles also consists of other provisions that will come into force in the following months: short-haul flights banned if there is a high-speed rail alternative on the same route and, finally, a ban by 2040 to sell and use combustion cars. Some of these regulations will be anticipated in several cities, starting with Paris which anticipates the ban on combustion engines to 2030, effectively requiring circulation on foot or by bicycle for much of the urban area.
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