BRIT tourists driving through France have been warned of hefty fines if they fail to display a certain sticker.
Bordeaux is one of 14 areas that has now made it a legal requirement for drivers to display an emissions sticker.
The Crit'Air stickers - used to identify a vehicle's air pollutant emission - must be ordered from the French government website for £4.
The system was introduced by the government as a way to improve poor air quality in large towns and cities.
Motorists who fail to display the notice face a fine of £58 - which rises to £154 if it's not paid within 45 days.
And fines will increase to £640 when camera-based enforcement is brought in next year.
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There are six different types of the sticker based on the vehicle's air pollution emissions.
Electric and hydrogen cars require green "0" markers - while the most polluting diesel vehicles need to display "5".
In some areas of France, authorities restrict vehicle movements based on their sticker.
For example, Paris has the strictest rules - with some roads only open to 0, 1, or 2 marked cars at specific times.
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The French regions where you must display the stickers are Bordeaux, Aix-Marseille-Provence, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nice, Reims, Rouen, Strasbourg, and Toulouse.
When driving in any of these zones, a Crit’Air sticker should be put on the right-hand side of the car’s windscreen and clearly visible at all times.
Some towns and cities now have emergency schemes that can restrict certain vehicles when there's particularly high pollution.
There are currently 28 areas where emergency low emission zones can be implemented at short notice.
Brits should also be aware of third-party scam websites that can overcharge motorists looking to buy the stickers.
Be vigilant and only use the official Crit’Air website.
The RAC has warned that other countries such as Spain and Switzerland also have emissions regulations.
Spokesman Rod Dennis said: "Within a few years all but zero-emission vehicles will be banned from some city centres."
France's Crit'Air clean air locations
As of July 2023, these are the areas where UK drivers will need to display an emissions sticker -
- Aix-Marseille-Provence region
- Bordeaux
- Clermont-Ferrand
- Grenoble
- Lille
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Montpellier
- Nice
- Paris
- Reims
- Rouen
- Strasbourg
- Toulouse
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