Unmarked radar cars to begin patrols in two new French departments
Radar cars will patrol roads with speed limits of 70 km/h or higher and focus on areas near major cities
Private unmarked radar cars are now used in dozens of departments. Photo for illustrative purposes only
Rajiv malkar/Shutterstock
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, the number in Rhône has not officially been announced.
Authorities in Hérault have detailed an initial 27 routes the vehicles will patrol in locations where the maximum speed limit is 70 km/h or above.
Private radar cars common across France
Radar vehicles can patrol at all hours, as drivers work in shifts to patrol both day and night.
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.
