On a Saturday morning, along a quiet department road north of Bordeaux, the gendarmerie’s motorcycle squad spotted a car streaking at a speed that bore no relation to normal traffic. On a stretch limited to 80 km/h (about 50 mph), the speedometer climbed to well over 180 km/h (roughly 112 mph), turning a routine check into a high-profile case of grand speeding in the heart of Gironde.
The events unfolded on Saturday, September 19, 2026, on the RD 115, near Saint-Loubès, northeast of Bordeaux. There, a 30-year-old driver behind the wheel of a Dodge was caught at 184 km/h (about 114 mph), with a recorded speed of 174 km/h (approximately 108 mph), on a road where the limit remains 80 km/h (roughly 50 mph), a gap of 94 km/h that changes the entire trajectory of his case.
Gironde: a driver clocked at 184 km/h in an 80 km/h zone on the RD115 at Saint-Loubès
This dramatic stop was carried out by the motorized brigade from Saint-André-de-Cubzac, who were deployed that weekend to the routes north of Bordeaux. In mid-morning, they intercepted the Dodge hurtling at 184 km/h (about 114 mph), the speed recorded by their control devices before being narrowed to the 174 km/h (roughly 108 mph) used for the offense. On a bidirectional road like the RD115, where the maximum allowed speed is 80 km/h (about 50 mph), this represents a grand excessive speeding of 94 km/h (roughly 58 mph), a case now handled as a criminal matter.
The 30-year-old driver had his license seized on the spot, pending a lengthy suspension. The Gironde gendarmerie specifies that his license will lose 6 points, a heavy penalty for a single offense. And the consequences do not stop at the paper document: the Dodge was placed in an administrative tow for seven days, and the motorist will have to appear before the judiciary in coming months to answer for this speeding offense.
What this driver faces for the grand speeding offense in Gironde
Since December 29, 2025, exceeding the maximum speed by 50 km/h (about 31 mph) or more constitutes a délit de grand excès de vitesse, and no longer merely a Class 5 misdemeanor. Decree n° 2025-1269 of December 22, 2025 established a flat criminal fine of €300 (€250 if paid promptly, €600 if increased). If the case is sent to the criminal court, a driver can face up to €3,750 in fines, up to three months in prison, a suspension or even revocation of the license, possible vehicle confiscation, and a place on the criminal record. For the driver stopped at , this legal framework will apply, though the exact penalty will depend on the court’s decision.
This dramatic stop is only one episode of a very busy weekend on the roads of Gironde.
The gendarmes say they recorded no fewer than 200 offenses in the department, with 42 vehicle seizures, 31 license retentions, and 8 immediate tow removals. Enhanced road-safety operations are to be rolled out in the days and weeks ahead, signaling more targeted checks on these secondary routes capped at 80 km/h (about 50 mph), where just a few kilometers per hour over the limit can quickly push a driver into the criminal category.
