A new deployment of speed camera cars is planned for next year, with an increased risk of being fined for motorists.
In 2024, around 400 radar cars entrusted by the Road Safety to private companies were circulating within eight of the thirteen regions of metropolitan France. In 2025, three new regions – Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur – will welcome these vehicles equipped with an infrared sensor and cameras to hunt down motorists in too much of a hurry. With the exception of Île-de-France and Corsica, the entire territory will therefore be covered with a grid, with nearly 550 cars since 126 will be dedicated to patrolling the roads of the departments located in the three regions soon to be affected.
These cars are the nightmare of drivers who flirt with speed limits. Inserted into traffic, discreet, they are able to detect speeding without motorists noticing because they use invisible infrared flashes. They can fine the vehicles they pass (if there is no central reservation) and those they overtake. It is not surprising that that these radar cars, which arrived on our roads in 2013 and have been mainly managed by private companies since 2018, are bringing in a lot of money for the state. To the great displeasure of many road users who see the noose tightening a little more each day.
© Sipa
There are, however, several ways to spot these cars that issue fines. First, by knowing the models most frequently used by companies. A website, www.radar.prive.fr, lists all the private radar cars in each department, with supporting photos. It shows six different makes and nine different models: Peugeot 308, Peugeot 508, Citroën Berlingo, Ford Focus, Ford Mondeo, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Passat, Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia. But if you have to press the brake pedal every time you see one of these classic and common cars, the trick is neither valid nor very safe!
There are other methods to spot these unmarked cars. However, you need to have a sharp eye and know where to look. On the dashboard of the radar car already, where the black box with the infrared sensor is placed that allows speeding to be detected. At the back, if the window is not tinted, it is possible to see a small square that contains the small cameras on board to capture images of the offense. Finally, the license plate at The front of these surveillance vehicles is surrounded by a reflective plastic support that is not found on normal cars.
So many small details that can alert you, but are nevertheless difficult to spot when driving. The best way to avoid being caught speeding, whether by a speed camera car or by a more traditional radar, is therefore to respect the limits imposed on the roads.