It’s the bane of motorists who are in a bit of a hurry. And even if they manage to limit the damage, either by braking near a fixed radar signal, or by using certain applications to know the checkpoints, it is difficult to escape the radar cars. These are devices on board unmarked cars driven mainly by private companies authorized by the State. A bit like the “PV sulphators” in big cities, except that here, the goal is not to track parking, but speeding. Even “excessive speeding”, according to the Road Safety website. These cars are obviously not marked on the roads, and incorporate an infrared flash which is also not detectable by the flashed user.
Itineraries and technical margins
The routes taken by these radar cars are defined by state services, in coordination with department prefects. Priority is given to sections of road where excessive speeds causing accidents are noted. They can be encountered on motorways, national, departmental and municipal roads. And be careful, because these cars can flash cars traveling in the same direction as them, but also those they pass, even with a central reservation.
As for the “technical margin”, it is set at 10 km/h for speed limits below 100 km/h, and at 10% for those above 100 km/h. This means that in built-up areas, radar cars theoretically do not flash below 61 km/h, while, on expressways and motorways, vehicles traveling above 124 km/h and 100 km/h respectively will be flashed. 146 km/h.
What new regions in 2025?
While there are currently around 400 radar cars across the country, they are currently spread across eight regions of mainland France, as follows:
- Burgundy-Franche-Comté
- Brittany
- Center-Val de Loire
- Great East
- Hauts-de-France
- Normandie
- New Aquitaine
- Loire region
But other regions should not rejoice too quickly, because 2025 will be the occasion to see these unmarked cars arrive in three new regions:
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Occitanie
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Note that in Île-de-France, the unmarked radar cars are not yet entrusted to private companies, but to the police. While Corsica will soon be the last region completely spared.
In total, with the new regions added to the list, there should be between 500 and 550 radar cars in France by 2025. Vehicles which, as we have said, are difficult to detect, because they are unmarked . On the other hand, there are several techniques to recognize them.
The simplest is perhaps still to recognize the car models used. And to help you, there is a collaborative website which lists them, as well as their color and registration. Among the most common are the Citroën Berlingo, Ford Focus and Mondeo, Peugeot 308 and 508, Seat Leon, Škoda Octavia or the Volkswagen Golf and Passat. There are also Renault Megane, Dacia Sandero… And if you are not good at spotting these models, you can also track down the box placed on the front dashboard, the sensor generally integrated in the center of the front bumper or a square stuck to the rear windshield which contains on-board cameras. You are ready to spend 2025 without being flashed!
