Unmarked radar cars to begin patrols in two new French departments

Unmarked private radar cars will begin patrols in two new departments in France at the start of next week (September 15), French media reports. 

The cars will begin circulating in Rhône and Hérault on pre-determined routes noted for high accident and speeding rates. 

In particular, the cities of Lyon and Béziers will see the vehicles patrolling roads with higher speed-limits in and around the urban limits.

It is the latest in a number of departments to see the introduction of unmarked radar cars this year, which have also been deployed in major cities such as Nice. 

In Hérault five vehicles will be used to patrol around 2,900 km of roads, although full details for the number and routes in the Rhône have not officially been announced. 

The Hérault prefecture has detailed an initial 27 routes the vehicles will patrol in locations where the maximum speed limit is 70 km/h or above. 

It stated that in 2024, 58 fatalities and more than 1,000 injuries in the department were attributed to driving accidents, with a further 50 recorded in January - August 2025.

In addition to the unmarked radar cars, authorities plan to install five additional cameras in Montpellier - three at red lights, and two speed cameras.

Private radar cars common across France

Radar vehicles can patrol at all hours, as drivers work in shifts to patrol both day and night. 

They have been authorised since 2015 in France, after the comité interministériel de la sécurité routière authorised their access.

There are two objectives to the decision, announce several prefectures that have since employed the measure. These are:

• "to enforce speed limits over time by extending the hours of operation of radar cars on the most accident-prone roads"  
• "to free up time for law enforcement officers to devote to their intervention, investigation and prevention missions, while strengthening the protection of road users"

The unmarked cars are not recognisable to drivers, with the hope that knowledge of their potential presence will assist in keeping speeds down on roads even if they are not being actively patrolled at the time.

Unmarked radar cars are most likely to operate on higher-speed roads on the outskirts of cities, although routes can change frequently based on incoming speeding data. 

Despite the technology that unmarked radar cars have, those caught speeding can still benefit from the margin of error thresholds in France, detailed in our article here.

These apply to all types of speed cameras, including static cameras and police radar units. 

In addition, it is possible to contest a fine issued when reported from an unmarked radar vehicle.