In France, smart radars should in the future monitor much more than just speeding. A development that could be expensive, perhaps even for Swiss drivers.
The French government is planning a major reform of its road enforcement system with the installation of 4,160 radars by 2025. These devices, equipped with technologies based on artificial intelligence, will be capable of detecting several offenses simultaneously.
Besides speeding, they will also target behaviors likee failure to respect safety distances, not wearing a seat belt or using a telephone while driving.
This modernization will cost France 46.3 million euros, but the authorities expect a rapid return on investment. Indeed, the budget plan anticipates an increase in fines, accompanied by additional costs for their printing and sending.
Security or money?
These measures are not unanimous. The automobile club “40 Millions of Motorists” strongly criticizes this initiative, calling it a “setback for road safety”. According to a spokesperson, “the new radars have no real impact on road safety, they only serve financial purposes”.
Other concerns include potential errors from automated systems. For example, a motorist temporarily removed from the safety distance by an overtaking vehicle could be unfairly penalized. This purely automatic logic could thus lack human discernment.
A different approach in Switzerland
In Switzerland, these high-tech devices do not seem to be on the agenda. Asked by blue News, Zurich cantonal police said: “Such AI-based measuring devices are not currently planned. We do not comment on other fonts’ equipment. »
The canton of Bern shares this position: “There is currently no consideration of the use of AI-assisted radars. »
A question of time?
Could Switzerland one day adopt similar systems? Automated technologies have potential to improve traffic flow and improve security. However, they also raise legal and ethical questions: are automatic sanctions always fair without human intervention? How can we ensure that recorded offenses target good drivers?
For the moment, Switzerland prefers to wait until these technologies mature and their effectiveness is clearly demonstrated. In the meantime, traditional radars continue to rule the roost on Swiss roads.
