The arrival of private radar vehicles in south-west France has seen thousands of drivers caught speeding, new data reveals – particularly near capital Toulouse.
Since the introduction of private radar vehicles in Haute-Garonne in September 2025, more than 4,000 drivers had been caught speeding by the end of the year.
Out of these, around 60% were going less than 20 km/h over the road’s speed limit, with drivers 50 km/h or more above the limit accounting for 11% of cases.
Private cars increasingly used to catch speedersVisactu
Toulouse ring road major site for speeding
The radar cars operate along several routes across the department, with routes chosen based on historic data.
Advertisement
“Routes are chosen on the basis of three strict criteria: accident rate, traffic density, and speeding statistics,” said Occitanie prefect Pierre-André Durand, quoted in La Dépêche.
“No road is free from the potential presence of mobile radars, from urban motorways to rural roads,” he added.
However, the ring road (péripherique) around Toulouse is a perennial hotspot, accounting for 20% of overall infractions caught by the radar vehicles.
The Haute-Garonne recorded 59 driving-related fatalities in 2025, 7 more than in 2024, as well as 785 injuries – 11% higher than the preceding year.
