“Radars save lives, let's stop destroying them.“The indignation of the Gers prefecture after the fire of an automatic radar in the commune of Gazaupouy, on the night of Thursday November 21 to Friday November 22, in the north of Gers.
The prefect announces file a complaint and the repair will be carried out “as soon as possible“to reestablish speed control in this town. The prefecture condemns its actions and recalls: “Automatic radars are installed in particularly accident-prone areas of the department, their destruction is a serious fact which contributes to road insecurity.”
Up to 200,000 euros in damage
The destruction, damage or deterioration of a radar is punishable by five years' imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 euros (article 322 of the Penal Code). The sanction increases to seven years of imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 euros when the offense is committed by several people or by a person hiding their face.
When the radar is vandalized with inscriptions or paint, the sanction is a fine of 15,000 euros.
The Gers prefecture estimates that the damage can amount to up to 200,000 euros for the complete replacement of a latest generation radar. “This is public money that should have been used differently, to finance road safety and to fund the special fund dedicated to road accident victims.“
