Harley‑Davidson at a standstill, bicycle in the spotlight: in just a few days, the everyday life of the mayor of Evreux has shifted gears. Cited for driving more than 40 km/h over the urban limit, Guy Lefrand was notified of a four‑month suspension of his driver’s license, and his motorcycle will stay in the garage for the entire period.
The events unfolded on a Friday, in the heart of Evreux, as the center‑right official headed to the Jean‑Louis Debré hospital aboard his Harley‑Davidson. A few days later, for the opening of a new bank branch, the sound of the V‑Twin was replaced by the quiet clack of a bicycle: Guy Lefrand arrived by bike. A scene that drew a smile, but rests on a very concrete framework: a serious speeding violation and penalties that would land on any driver.
A major speeding violation in city limits for Evreux’s mayor
On September 11, 2026, Evreux’s mayor was pulled over within his own urban area as he rode toward the hospital on his Harley. According to the prosecutor’s office and the prefecture, the speed recorded far exceeded the 50 km/h urban limit. “The speed recorded is 93 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. An administrative four‑month suspension of the driver’s license was issued,” Evreux Prosecutor Rémi Coutin told AFP. For a motorist or rider, this level of excess falls into the category of major speeding, more than 40 km/h over the limit.
In this scenario, the traffic code provides for a four‑point license deduction and an €135 fixed fine. The administrative authority may also impose an immediate license suspension, which is what was decided for the Evreux mayor. The Eure prefecture notes that this measure is not unusual: it described it as an “administrative sanction that traditionally applies in this case,” the prefecture told Ici Normandie. For Guy Lefrand, this means several months without a steering wheel or handlebars, including for his duties as mayor.
Investigation, safety messages, and a forced shift to cycling
The person involved does not contest the facts. “It happens,” Guy Lefrand told the local outlet La Dépêche d’Evreux. The official even uses the moment to thread a message related to another case he faces: “This proves to those who reproach me that I wasn’t traveling in my official car,” he added. The Evreux prosecutor’s office has indeed opened an inquiry into possible improper use of a municipal vehicle, which adds a legal backdrop to this road incident for the mayor.
To be sure, the timing makes the matter even more discussed. The day before the check, the Eure prefect, Xavier Delarue, had issued a very firm road‑safety message after a string of road tragedies across the department. “Let’s stop the carnage,” he urged, after five people, including a 7‑year‑old child, died in just six days on the department’s roads, in a message carried by Libération. “Respect the speed limits,” he added. “Speeding makes everything worse.” A few days later, for the opening of Evreux’s new Caisse d’Épargne, Guy Lefrand showed up on a bicycle rather than his Harley—a markedly different way to get around, healthier for him and friendlier to the environment, and it might well become his new daily routine for as long as his license remains suspended.
