Are cyclists allowed to run red lights in France?

Cyclists often run red lights in France, and some claim there is a special sign that allows them to do so. Here are the facts.

Cycling has grown more popular in France recently, particularly in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Paris, a 2023 study found that cycling accounted for 11.2 percent of people’s daily trips, representing a significant increase from just three percent in 2010.

Meanwhile, at a national level, cycling use went up by 39 percent between 2019 and 2022. In urban areas, the increase was 42 percent for this period, while suburban and rural areas saw an increase of 27 percent. according to French government statistics.

As cycling has grown more popular, there have also been complaints from pedestrians and motorists about cyclists’ behaviour, particularly with regard to ignoring red lights.

Cyclists, on the other hand, argue they sometimes do have the right to griller un feu rouge (run a red light).

You can hear the team from The Local France discuss the rights of cyclists v pedestrians in the latest episode of Talking France. Listen here or on the link below

So are cyclists allowed to go through red lights?

Cyclists, like all other road users – must obey all traffic signs and traffic lights – which means stopping when the light is red.

However, they are occasionally allowed to go through a red light if an M12 sign (below) is present.

The different types of M12 signs. Credit: French government

The M12 sign is an upside-down triangle with a yellow bicycle in the middle. There is an arrow below the bicycle, which indicates to cyclists that they can cross a red light in the direction of the arrow.

So if the arrow is pointing to the left, then the cyclist cannot cross a red light and continue to go straight on, but they can turn left.

There is an important caveat to this – cyclists must also continue to give the right of way to those who have a green light to cross the street, such as pedestrians and motorists.

So for example if the red light was at a pedestrian crossing the cyclist could continue if there was an M12 sign, provided the crossing is empty. If pedestrians are using the crossing, then the cyclist must stop.

If the cyclist runs a red light and there is no M12 sign, or if they go in an unauthorised direction or otherwise fail to give priority to pedestrians, then they can be fined €135.

The M12 sign is only used at traffic intersections with traffic lights – so at a zebra crossing, which has no lights, the cyclist would have to give way to the pedestrian if the pedestrian is on the crossing, the same as the rule for cars and other vehicles.

The sign itself was added to the Code de la Route in 2012, but they remain more common in cities – Marseille aims to have around 500 by the end of the year, Lyon has around 300 while Paris has roughly 1,500.

Are cyclists allowed to run red lights in France?

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