From June 2025, the system will be introduced in Ardèche, Cantal, Bouches-du-Rhône, and Ariège in France. In July, it will expand to Ain, Haute-Loire, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn-et-Garonne, and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
These radar-equipped vehicles, already operational in around 60 areas, are used to detect speeding offences across both directions of travel. The vehicles are unmarked, operate around the clock seven days a week, and are typically assigned to high-risk road sections.
The total number of radar vehicles will remain fixed at 300, but a growing proportion will be operated by private companies rather than the police. This reflects a shift in operational responsibility, with the aim of allowing law enforcement to focus on other duties, according to the road safety authority.
Four private companies currently hold the main operating contracts and are continuing to recruit salaried drivers, particularly in areas such as Ain and Pyrénées-Orientales, where new vehicles are being introduced.
Jean-Yves Lamant, president of the French road safety campaign group Ligue contre la violence routière, said that widespread and discreet enforcement was necessary to deter speeding more effectively.
“Just because you’re not caught doesn’t mean you’re not dangerous,” Lamant told RMC. “We need to be able to be flashed anywhere, all the time, constantly, if speeding occurs.”
