Starting November 3, three unmarked vehicles equipped with radars will drive on the department’s roads. Their mission: to monitor speed on routes identified as accident-prone and to reinforce the State’s presence in road safety.
From Monday, November 3, motorists in the Alpes-Maritimes will encounter new monitoring vehicles. Three radar cars, driven by private operators under State supervision, will join the existing system. They will travel on routes defined by the prefectural services, chosen based on the number of accidents and observed dangerous behaviors.
Since the beginning of the year, the department has recorded 579 accidents. Thirty-seven people have lost their lives and more than seven hundred have been injured. Excessive speed remains a major cause of these tragedies. In response to this observation, authorities are seeking to diversify control measures.
These unmarked vehicles will not be signaled. They are equipped with a system capable of automatically detecting speeding. When an offense is detected, an image is captured by an infrared flash, invisible to drivers. The penalty is then issued in the traditional manner, similar to fixed radars.
Targeted routes and continuous presence
The State services have selected 44 routes, representing nearly 2,500 kilometers of roads and highways. The radar cars will not operate simultaneously, but their presence will be spread throughout the year. They will operate both day and night, on weekdays and weekends. Each month, approximately 15,000 kilometers will be monitored.
The routes and schedules will not be fixed. They will regularly change to adapt to the most exposed areas and peak traffic periods. The goal is to maintain constant vigilance and make the system difficult for speed-tempted drivers to anticipate.
These radar cars complement the 56 fixed devices already installed in the department. They also free up time for law enforcement, allowing them to focus on other missions such as checking for alcohol or drug use.
A progressive national expansion
The use of outsourced driving is not new. The system was tested in Normandy as early as 2017 before being extended to other regions. The Alpes-Maritimes now join the list of affected departments.
Nationally, the fleet will reach 300 vehicles by the end of 2025. This ramp-up is part of a comprehensive strategy to combat road insecurity. It combines prevention, awareness, and sanctions.
Authorities remind that excessive speed remains a decisive factor in the severity of accidents. By extending control hours and multiplying monitored routes, the State hopes to reduce the number of road casualties.
The arrival of these three radar cars marks another step in the department’s road safety policy. Accident statistics show that prevention efforts must be accompanied by enhanced control measures.
Drivers will now have to deal with a more diffuse, less predictable surveillance than that of fixed radars. Selected routes, frequency of passes, and circulation times will evolve each month. This flexibility aims to adapt to on-the-ground realities and maintain constant pressure on risky behavior.
Beyond penalties, authorities hope that the presence of these vehicles will encourage motorists to adopt safer driving behavior. The measure is part of a long-term strategy with the ambition to permanently reduce the number of accidents and casualties on the roads of the Alpes-Maritimes.
