Two-way speed cameras launched
Unmarked police cars will be able to ‘flash’ vehicles in both directions as new radars start work in 18 departments
NEW mobile speed cameras are being rolled out across the roads network which will be able to catch speeding vehicles in two directions.
Launched just before the Toussaint holiday – which last year cost 32 deaths in four days – the new generation radars are fitted in 12 non-marked Renault Méganes and seven Peugeot 208s being used in 18 departments. They are modified versions of the mobile radars that were introduced in March.
They will only be used on routes nationales, where the majority of accidents take place, as the central barrier on motorways prevents them from working in two directions.
On main roads they can catch vehicles in the same lane as the police car and those approaching. The previous models, there are 46 of them on the roads, could only catch drivers overtaking the unmarked police car.
Officers in the car will be in uniform but, apart from a large camera unit on the dashboard, the vehicles are scarcely noticeable on the road. The speed detector is mounted behind the front numberplate and the first drivers will know about them is when they receive the speeding ticket through the post a couple of days later.
Drivers in Ain, Aisne, Côtes-d'Armor, Dordogne, Eure-et-Loir, Gard, Indre-et-Loire, Loiret, Manche, Marne, Moselle, Seine-Maritime, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Yvelines, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-d'Oise and Vendée will be the first to face the new radars.
A 10% margin of error is used for levying fines – with a 10kph error allowed for speeds below 100kph. That means a driver travelling at 58kph in a 50kph zone will escape as his speed will be registered as 48kph
By the end of 2015 there will be 300 on the road – adding to the 4,129 already in place which this year are expected to raise more than €800million in fines.
In 2012 more than 12million penalty notices were issued, but cameras actually flashed 21million times with many photos not being usable. Figures showed that 93.5% of speeding tickets were for speeds of under 20kph over the limit.
Pierre Chasseray of the motoring group 40 Millions d’Automobilistes, said the “vast majority of people think there are already too many radars on the roads”.
Earlier this year Interior Minister Manuel Valls said there were sufficient speed cameras on the roads and he did not want to see more added.
Previous articles:
Speed limits may be cut by 10kph
Mobile speed traps take to road
