More unmarked radar cars to catch speeders in France: where and how they work

More unmarked speed radar cars - cars run by private companies or police that patrol roads checking for speeding drivers - are set to be rolled out across France in 2025. Most regions had the cars in operation in 2024.

Where will the cars be rolled out in 2025? 

Three regions will see more cars next year: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, reports specialist website Automobile Magazine.

These regions are set to have 500-550 vehicles on the roads by the end of the year, up from some 400 currently in service.

It comes after the cars are already widely used in the regions of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Grand Est, Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the Pays de la Loire.

The Île-de-France region is, for now, covered only by police. Apart from this Corsica is the only region not to have the speed radar cars in operation currently.

Read also: 12 questions and answers about private speed radar cars in France
Read more: Private radar cars on rise in France, see where plus current locations 

How do the cars work?

The cars have infrared cameras which can detect speeding drivers on both sides of the road. They have an invisible ‘flash’, making it more difficult for drivers to tell if they have been identified. Unlike traditional speed cameras the cars are not signposted in advance.

The cars drive on a pre-set route determined by the prefecture, from which the drivers cannot deviate. Similarly, even drivers from private companies - used to free up police time for other tasks - do not get paid more if they catch a greater number of speeding drivers.

The system allows a ‘technical margin’ of 10 km/h for speeds up to 100 km/h, and 10% above that, explains the government road safety website. 

For example, a driver who is going 58 km/h in a 50 zone would not be fined, as the “retained speed” would be 10 km/h under, at 48 km/h. However, a driver who is overtaking at 71 km/h in a 50 zone would be caught, because their speed would be marked as 61 km/h.

Read more: How to contest a driving or speeding fine in France

Fines start at €68 with a licence point deduction for being less than 20 km/h over the limit, to up to €1,500 and a three-year ban for drivers who are found to be going more than 50 km/h over the speed limit.

How can I spot an unmarked radar car? 

The cars are usually a common model of vehicle, designed to blend in with normal traffic. 

They tend to be models such as the Peugeot 308 or 508; Ford Focus; Volkswagen Passat; Skoda Octavia, or Dacia Sandero.

Read more: How to spot unmarked speed control cars on French roads

Their on-board devices are discreet but eagle-eyed drivers may be able to spot the capture devices on the front, a black box placed on the back dashboard, and a ‘square’ stuck on the back windscreen, which includes the on-board cameras.