Many motorists do it in front of their house, yet the fine is 450 euros

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Although spring was not particularly mild this year, the first days of summer marked the return of sunny days. And inevitably, the desire to give your car a new shine after the spring rains arises. However, many motorists are unaware that the simple fact of washing their vehicle in front of their house can expose them to heavy penalties.

A practice prohibited and punished

Since 1979, cleaning a vehicle on the public highway has been strictly prohibited in France. This ban also applies if you simply wash your car in front of your garage, your gate or in the street adjacent to your home. The penalty for this offence is far from trivial, as our colleagues at L'internaute explain: a fine of 450 euros can be imposed on offenders.

Worse, if the authorities find that the washing water contains pollutants (engine oil, hydrocarbons, detergents) and that they are released into the ground, the penalties are even more severe. In this case, the person responsible is liable to a prison sentence of up to 2 years and a fine of 75,000 euros. These penalties are imposed at any time of the year, whether in summer or winter.

What is legal ?

Faced with these risks, we would tend to advise you to turn to more ecological and legal solutions. Professional washing stations are equipped to recover and treat wastewater – and they consume much less water than washing at home. At home, we consume around 300 liters compared to 50 in a high pressure station. Of course, it will cost a little more but it's better for the environment.

Another alternative is to use dry cleaning services. or “without water”. These methods are increasingly popular and have the merit of being more environmentally friendly. That said, it is not always easy to find such a station in its geographical surroundings.

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