Car radar: everything you need to know
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For several years, car radars have flourished on French roads and are used to prevent overspeeding. The flash will fire to photograph a vehicle that is outside the permitted limit. There are more and more forms of radar: they can be stationary, mobile, or airborne.
🔎 What types of speed cameras are there?
Speed cameras are becoming more and more numerous, and every year they acquire more and more advanced functions to punish drivers for violations. There are currently 7 types radars in France:
- Mobile radar : it can be loaded into a moving vehicle or installed by the police on the roadway;
- Onboard mobile radar : As the name suggests, it is loaded into an unmarked vehicle. Equipped with an infrared camera, it allows the use of an inconspicuous flash to punish motorists for speeding;
- Fixed speed camera or speed camera : has been on the roads for more than 10 years, is often found in areas with high accident rates, or, for example, is regularly placed on highways;
- Red light radar : located mainly at intersections with red traffic lights, verifies compliance with red light stops and drivers compliance with traffic light rules in their vehicle. He takes a flash photo to send a ticket to the guilty motorist;
- Discriminating radar : Unlike a conventional fixed speed camera, it allows you to distinguish between vehicles and to determine if light or heavy vehicles are moving above the permitted limit. He can also check compliance with safe distances between vehicles;
- Radar section : Using an infrared camera, it calculates the average vehicle speed between the first and second checkpoints on the same axle, recording the travel time;
- Educational radar : with this type of speed camera, no ticket will be sent, it is rather used to inform the driver of his speed and find out if it matches the speed allowed on the axle where he is.
🚗 How to recognize an unmarked radar vehicle?
Typically, unmarked vehicles with radar have pretty impressive case for dashboard car. This is where all the elements of radar technology for performing a flash are.
In addition, some car models are used more often than others. For example, Peugeot 208, 508, Renault Megane or Citroën Berlingo frequent models for unmarked radar vehicles.
⚡ Unmarked car radar: front or rear flash?
As previously mentioned, unmarked vehicles with mobile radar have a large box in their dashboard. An infrared camera is located here, and it is this camera that produces an inconspicuous flash to capture the motorists who are in the middle. violation.
So the flash will fire in front of the car is not marked, but will not necessarily be visible to the offending driver. Indeed, infrared cameras produce blink imperceptibly allowing you to optimally identify a car caught in violation of traffic rules.
⚠️ What if the radar flashes when a car passes me?
For all speed cameras, if two cars appear in the photo taken by their flash, the ticket is considered is automatically canceled. This was put into effect by decree from June 4, 2009... Indeed, this does not allow you to choose between two cars and find out which of them broke the rules.
As such, it is important to ask for a photo when receiving your ticket to ensure that there is no other vehicle in the photo taken.
However for radar discriminants, a fine can be applied to the guilty vehicle because they can distinguish between the lane and the type of vehicle.
Radars are present to enforce traffic regulations and mainly speed limits to minimize the risk of accidents on French roads. If you do not comply with them, the size of the fines can quickly increase, and you risk losing your license in the event of multiple violations, especially if their class is high!
