According to figures from the French Ministry of the Interior, one phenomenon is becoming increasingly alarming: the rise in drivers refusing to comply with police orders. Motorists willing to take every risk to evade a police check. Extremely rare just twenty years ago, there is now one such incident every 20 minutes.

Beyond this troubling observation, where does this growing distrust of authority come from? Is it a “French specificity”? Today, police officers and gendarmes are instructed not to pursue fleeing drivers in order to avoid tragedies. But does this policy have unintended consequences? Are other countries facing the same problem? How are they responding? England has adopted a radical measure: police officers are now allowed to ram fleeing vehicles. What becomes of a society when an increasing share of its population no longer respects the rules? What becomes of a society when the uniform no longer inspires fear?

Sometimes the driver simply wants to avoid a fine for lacking insurance, driving under the influence, or driving without a licence. Sometimes, it is merely for fun, with no real reason at all — simply for the thrill of defying authority. And yet the penalty is severe: three years in prison and a €75,000 fine. Sometimes the consequences are tragic. In their attempts to flee, these reckless drivers cause accidents, injure themselves, or injure police officers and gendarmes. These reckless acts have even led to deaths among law enforcement officers, fleeing drivers, and innocent bystanders.

Last April 25, around midnight, in the Pont Neuf district of Paris, a police officer opened fire on a car attempting to flee. Two of the occupants were killed instantly, while a third was injured. A month later, on June 4, another car refused to stop. A female passenger was killed. The driver, who was serving a semi-custodial sentence, was shot and wounded. He was formally charged with “attempted homicide against a person holding public authority” — in other words, deliberately driving at police officers.

This illustrates the full complexity created by this new phenomenon: law enforcement officers do not always know how to react. Torn between the desire to apprehend a criminal and the fear of making a terrible error of judgment. Refusal to comply has become the bane of police officers and gendarmes.