Radars – Everything you need to know about the new on-board radars –

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Everything you need to know about the new on-board radars

Radars - Everything you need to know about the new on-board radars -

From March 15, 20 unmarked vehicles equipped with on-board radars will report speeding vehicles overtaking them. This summer, they will also line up those who cross them. And they will be more than 300 by 2016 … Explanations.

Gone, the "good old" station wagon more or less well hidden on the side of the road to flash offenders exceeding the regulatory speed by a few km / h? It is in any case the old dream of the government (read in particular), of which 20 new on-board radars will issue from March 15 in 18 departments.

Deployment plan for new on-board mobile radars

At the time of publication of these lines, 20 vehicles equipped with this new type of mobile radar are deployed in 18 departments:

  • 1 in the Alpes-Maritimes (06)
  • 2 in Bouches-du-Rhône (13)
  • 1 in Calvados (14)
  • 1 in Haute-Garonne (31)
  • 1 in Gironde (33)
  • 2 in Ille-et-Vilaine (35)
  • 1 in the Loir-et-Cher (41)
  • 1 in Loire-Atlantique (44)
  • 1 in the Loiret (45)
  • 1 in Moselle (57)
  • 1 in the North (59)
  • 1 in the Oise (60)
  • 1 in the Pyrenees-Orientales (66)
  • 1 in the Rhône (69)
  • 1 in Paris (75)
  • 1 in the Somme (80)
  • 1 in the Vaucluse (84)
  • 1 in Essonne (91)

The new generation mobile radars will be gradually deployed throughout France at the rate of 100 devices per year over the next three years, replacing the first generation mobile radars or "onboard field devices" deployed between 2004 and 2005.

The principle of these "new generation mobile radars" – or ETM for "mobile field equipment" (no, not "and your mother"!) – is simple: being able to tax speeding everywhere, with complete impunity and discretion. more than 10 km / h.

Because it is well known: a motorist or a biker who drives at 110 – even 120! – km / h on a deserted, dry and well-maintained national road is a dangerous criminal that should be passed as quickly as possible to the cash register … for our safety !

No flash visible

"A new generation mobile radar is an on-board device in an unmarked car, driven by gendarmes or police officers in uniform", whose mission is to "photograph on three lanes, without visible flash and while driving, all speeding vehicles ", explains – more soberly – Road Safety.

Concretely, Pinot and Pinod wake up in the morning, put on their best uniform, fill up our unmarked car and go for a walk, burning the gasoline of the taxpayer on "mission". While Pinot is re-styling his mustache, Pinod sets the radar to the maximum speed of the road taken, and our two friends are ready for a good day outing at the expense of the community, maintaining order and preserving social cohesion : "hey Robert, stay well at 85/86, the guy behind will overtake us and hop in the pocket!"

And indeed: when the famous type behind ends up overtaking, "the ETM instantly measures the speed of the vehicle overtaking it and takes pictures of the vehicles in violation", brags Road Safety. "The data are calculated immediately" and "at the end of a mission, the infringement messages are sent to the National Processing Center in Rennes".

Nice, isn’t it? Yes very. Except that for the moment, "only vehicles which overtake the unmarked car are checked". Oh nooonnnn, do you lament behind your screen: and whoever comes in front then ??? Patience, patience: from next summer, when homologation is obtained, "cars equipped with such a device will also control the speed of vehicles passing them". Phew !

10% tolerance

That the bad tongues – always quick to mock unfairly the devotion of the State for our safety – be reassured: "these radars are designed to target the drivers responsible for excessive speeding", tries to justify the Road Safety: "the margin technique is 10 km / h for speed limits below 100 km / h and 10% for speed limits above 100 km / h (against 5 km / h and 5% for other speed cameras) ".

Concretely, if you overtake Pinot and Pinod at 98 km / h on a road limited to 90 km / h, the selected speed will be 98 – 10 = 88 km / h: it will be fine this time, drive! On the other hand, if another vehicle arrives in front and you have to fall back a little faster than expected (let’s be crazy: a peak at 102 km / h!), Your retained speed will be 102 – 10 = 92 km / h: here the change !

Another example ? You grow cushy on a motorway limited to 130 km / h, without paying more attention than necessary to the gray Megane of Pinot and Pinod that you are overtaking … If you are at 138 km / h, the speed retained will be 138 – 10% = 124 km / h: bravo, you can resume normal activity. On the other hand, if you are a vulgar thirst for speed intoxicated by your peak at, say, 146 km / h … Lost: 146 – 10% = 131.4 km / h !

In summary, from March 15, 2013 will be fined all drivers driving from:

  • 146 km / h on the highway
  • 124 km / h on the expressway
  • 102 km / h on national or departmental
  • 61 km / h in urban areas

Eric MICHEL

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