Radars – Privatization of on-board radars: everything you need to know about private radar cars –

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Privatization of on-board radars: all you need to know about private radar cars

Radars - Privatization of on-board radars: everything you need to know about private radar cars -

Before generalizing throughout France the privatized "radar cars" which will circulate from September 1, 2017 in Normandy, Road Safety is trying to defuse the discontent of motorists and bikers by explaining all the benefits of this reform… Explanations.

In accordance with the decision announced by Manuel Valls during the, the government has been experimenting since Friday around Evreux (27) with the first six private "radar cars", which will circulate from September 1, 2017 in Normandy before extending to all France. MNC takes stock of this new decisive step in the process of privatizing road safety.

Why entrust radar cars to private operators ?

The main reason given by the government is to "free up working time for the police (equivalent to 400 full-time jobs), which they will devote to tasks better in relation to their qualifications for the benefit of the fight against road insecurity, such as the search for driving while intoxicated or after taking narcotics, the fight against delinquency and the protection of the population. It will also make it possible to increase the time of use of radar cars in order to ‘ensure better compliance with speed limits throughout the network ".

In reality, against the backdrop of a budgetary crisis and progressive liberalization, the State continues to withdraw from the various sectors of society by subcontracting to the private sector activities which were traditionally reserved for it. This is the case of this privatization of radar cars, which would also make it possible to create "1000 driver positions in the private sector" according to calculations by Road Safety..

  • MNC special file : Automatic speed cameras
  • MNC special file : IRB and new government measures
  • MNC special file : Everything you need to know about the new on-board radars

What guarantees of transparency in the choice of service provider ?

"In the coming weeks, a consultation will be launched with a view to selecting a regional service provider for a public contract", merely indicates the government, assuring that "the designated company could not be interested in the amount of fines and no premium will be indexed to the number of flashes. The vehicles entrusted to the company holding the contract will remain the property of the State ".

Recall that at the end of 2015, the Anticor association filed a complaint against X for "the offense of favoritism and illegal taking of interests in the context of the award of public contracts for the automated control of traffic violations (automatic speed cameras)". The association for the fight against corruption was based in particular on a report by the General Inspectorate of Administration (IGA) of March 2014 on the relations between the National Agency for the automated processing of offenses (ANTAI) and the companies of the Atos group. This report from the IGA, which depends on the Ministry of the Interior, pointed to "mistakes" for the benefit "of a supplier whose many elements indicate that it takes advantage of a situation rent to charge high prices"…

  • Anticor of December 23, 2015 :

Coincidence or coincidence? The Atos group (headed by Thierry Breton, former Minister of the Economy and close to Nicolas Sarkozy) was stripped of this juicy market at the end of 2015 for the benefit of the company Capgemini (headed by Paul Hermelin, former chief of staff of Dominique Strauss-Kahn and close to François Hollande)…

Anticor’s complaint led to the opening of an investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF), entrusted on March 29, 2016 to the police officers of the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption (OCLCIFF).

What guarantees for the respect of private life ?

"When the car-radar will circulate, its driver will have no indication relating to the statement of offense by the mechanism which it transports", assures the government: "it will not know neither which vehicle was photographed, nor how many. The same goes for the company that hires him, which will never be able to access the part concerning the verbalization snapshots, nor know the number of offenses noted by means of the vehicles for which he is responsible while driving (vehicles , when not in use, will be parked in the premises of the police or the gendarmerie) ".

Regarding the risks of hacking, Road Safety provides that "the data recorded by the radar cars will be sent in encrypted form to the judicial police officers in charge of the verbalization" based at the National Center for the treatment of offenses in Rennes. "It is obviously in no way to delegate sovereign powers to private companies", swears the government, stressing that "this would be prohibited by the constitution".

What will become of Pinot and Cruchot ?

Currently, the crew of the 383 radar cars that crisscross the road network is made up of two police officers (or gendarmes): Pinot is "assigned to driving" while Cruchot "modifies on a tablet the speed limit changes that occur on the route taken ". Neither has the task of noting the excess speed, since it is precisely the on-board system that takes care of it before sending everything to Rennes..

  • Road safety press release dated February 24, 2017 :

Future private radar cars will only employ one person, the driver – pending autonomous cars! -, because "four cameras (two at the front and two on the rear shelf)" will allow it to read the speed limit signs. The radar can therefore operate "autonomously, without any intervention from the driver", whose only job will be "to follow the pre-programmed route for each mission" by means of a GPS navigator. .

  • MNC of August 22, 2014 : Autonomous motorcycles on the road soon ?
  • MNC special file :

The radar itself will be identical to the current model and will still be camouflaged in the faceplate of new privatized vehicles, while the digital camera will still be mounted on the dashboard..

On the other hand, an animated map will allow private operators to "locate several radar cars in circulation in a territory to be secured (sic)", provides Road Safety. The private service provider will thus be able to "permanently supervise the missions of the radar cars for which they will be responsible" and "if the driver deviates from the indicated route, his line manager can immediately see it thanks to the geolocation device with which the vehicle is equipped. permanently".

What margin of error for on-board radars ?

"With regard to equipment for measuring speed on the move, higher tolerance margins have been retained," underlines Road Safety: instead of 5 km / h up to 100 km / h and 5% beyond for conventional fixed speed cameras, a margin of "10 km / h in addition to the authorized speed or 10% whichever is more favorable to the offender" will be granted so that "any person normally attentive to the speed limits [can] drive without fear of being fined "…

What mode of remuneration for the private provider ?

"In no case will companies be compensated for the number of recorded offenses", ensures Road Safety: they will be compensated "according to the number of hours of driving". This number of driving hours, the journeys made and the time slots for checks will be fixed by the State services "according to local accident criteria and will in no case be left to the discretion of companies or their drivers ".

We remember in this regard that the government said without laughing that the radars were all placed in dangerous places, while it suffices to drive around to see that a number of gray boxes are located in areas without particular risks to the lives of users….

  • MNC of July 7, 2015 : Road Safety ensures that speed cameras are placed on dangerous roads…

"The driver can in no way know if a passing motorist has been flashed," explains the government. The on-board computer is in fact supposed to emit no signal, while "the infrared flash cannot be seen with the naked eye," says Road Safety. And since the hierarchical manager of the driver, posted in front of his control screen, also does not know if the radar was triggered, "there can be no incentive to fines or" race to the figure "for the private company in charge. to run vehicles "…

Can we still roll back the government ?

It is the bet of 40 million motorists, which launches a "digital demonstration" based on an according to which 78% of the French are opposed to it (against 83% a year ago).

  • MNC of February 20, 2017 :

The association wishes to "push back the government and involve the candidates for the presidency of the Republic" by inviting motorists to "send a photo of them or their car directly by MMS to Pierre Chasseray, general delegate of the association, on 07 89 99 63 63 or via the site ".

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