It was at the end of the 1970s. Didier Renoux remembers being in Paris from Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle) with his small 125 cm3 to demonstrate against the motorcycle sticker.
He can still be seen on the ring road, circulating like all the other motorcyclists between the cars.
"The two wheels have always practiced the interfiles and this way of doing things was almost born on the periphery", underlines this active member of the Federation of angry motorcyclists (FFMC) who has been asking since 2011 for the legalization of this very widespread habit but not provided for by the Highway Code.
Should bikers be prohibited definitively, as has officially been the case since February 1, to sneak in single file between vehicles in the heart of traffic jams or, on the contrary, allow them to do so while respecting certain rules?
This is the second option envisaged by Road Safety, which will submit to the Council of State within a few days a new experimental project in several departments.
Objective: to launch a full-scale test by June.
A first study was launched between 2016 and 2021 in eleven departments.
Result: the accident rate of motorized two-wheelers on sections where interfiles was authorized increased over the period observed (multiplied by 3 for example in Gironde).
But the interministerial delegate for Road Safety, Marie Gautier-Melleray, remains convinced that by respecting certain mutual rules, motorcyclists and motorists can achieve "the conditions for a peaceful and secure inter-traffic practice".
A new test phase in 11 departments
Hence his wish to relaunch a test phase which would be renewed in the 11 departments previously concerned (those of Ile-de-France, Rhône, Bouches-du-Rhône, Gironde) and extended to new areas.
A sign informing that the route taken authorizes the interfaces would be deployed in the sectors concerned.
“Interfile traffic, although not provided for by the Highway Code, is a widespread practice, to which users of motorized two-wheelers are attached, justifies Road Safety.
The work carried out since 2015 does not aim to ban it, since it has never been authorized, but to study the conditions under which it could be authorized, made safe, taught, and introduced into the Highway Code.
"
"Historic tolerance on the part of the police"
Some motorcycle school instructors already teach it to their students.
And when it is well practiced, the French Federation of Angry Bikers considers that it is not dangerous for two-wheelers.
“The Paris ring road is one of the busiest areas in Europe but one of the least accident-prone, reassures Didier Renoux.
This is proof that apart from a few guys who do anything, the vast majority of users respect each other.
"
VIDEO. Interfile traffic ban: hundreds of motorcyclists parade on the ring road
Knowing that the practice is not written in black and white in the Highway Code, are bikers who do so liable to a fine?
In theory, yes.
Because it is forbidden to overtake a vehicle on the right.
But in reality, "there is no verbalization because this practice benefits from a historical tolerance on the part of the police", blows a good expert of the file.
The practice has even become so common on the two-wheeler side that the FFMC has published a good practice guide for its members where it specifies the reflexes to adopt when sneaking around like this.
Unspoken rules on which the delegation to Road Safety had also relied to launch the first experiment in France on the interfiles.
Rolling in interfiles, easy on the accelerator
We asked several people familiar with this practice to point out the reflexes to have, the dangers to anticipate and the bad habits to be avoided, to make this traffic habit as safe as possible.
First advice to be followed scrupulously: do not overtake other two-wheelers.
Adapt your speed to the traffic and do not exceed 50 km / h.
"The morons who drive at 90 km / h between cars while they are at 20 km / h are suicidal", warns Jean-Marc Belotti, coordinator of the Parisian branch of the FFMC and used to driving on the periphery. .
If the traffic becomes fluid again, re-enter the normal traffic lane.
"And do not have fun doing the interfaces on another lane than the left one as we can sometimes see certain scooters or delivery men in a bit of a hurry to do it", underlines Pascal Wolf, animator of training courses in driving improvement near Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle).
Keep an eye and ... anticipate
“The greatest danger of the interfiles is that a motorist will cut you off,” recalls Jean-Marc Belotti.
Watch the behavior of drivers you are about to pass.
As you approach a slowdown, beware of untimely lane changes by motorists.
“If the car already has the wheels turned to the left or to the right depending on which lane it is in, the driver is on the starting blocks to change lanes.
"
Keep your distance and think about the flashing
Keeping distance from slower two-wheelers should be the rule.
“But it is true that on the ring road, we very often see trains of bikers who do not respect the safety distance between them, recognizes Pascal Wolf.
When I spend ten days in the Paris region, unfortunately I have a fairly strong tendency to be sucked in by the speed of others ”.
The ideal, according to the FFMC, is to drive in low beam but especially not in high beam so as not to dazzle other drivers and interfere with their perception of distances.
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Finally, a common rule is imposed on cars as well as motorcyclists who are inserted between the lines: use your turn signals.
“Motorists have every chance of having a bike built into their car if they change lanes without putting on their flashing light,” warns Jean-Marc Belotti.
By car, when you are driving in the left-most lane and you see a motorcyclist walking up the lanes, by putting your turn signal on the left, you are telling the driver of the two-wheeler that you have seen him and that you are leaving him pass.
He will be grateful to you.
And if he stretches out his foot or gives you the “V” sign, don't be offended: he says thank you!