driving
Speed camera in southern France flashes nearly 10,000 times in under a year
The camera is the most active in the department
Published
A speed camera in southern France, Lot, has flashed almost 10,000 times in just 10 months - from January to October 2026 - making it the most active in the department.
The camera, located in the commune of Espère, on the RD 811, recorded 9,823 flashes, according to La Dépêche.
The 11 fixed speed cameras across Lot recorded a combined 36,220 flashes over the same period.
This means that Espère alone accounted for more than a quarter of the department's total.
The commune, which has just under 1,000 residents, is crossed by a very busy road linking Cahors and Fumel. Yet the speed limit through the commune is 50km/h and the road passes homes, shops and pedestrian crossings.
"They are extremely dangerous. The departmental road crosses the commune and residents use it a lot," mayor Christophe Marquefave told La Dépêche, referring to the pedestrian crossings.
He added that drivers often slow down when approaching the camera only to accelerate again once they have passed it.
The mayor said he would like to see further measures introduced to make the road safer, including physical traffic-calming measures, and he is not the only one calling for such changes.
Residents of the commune have also voiced concerns, with one saying that a car had previously crashed into their home because it was travelling too fast.
