Private radar cars begin to patrol roads in the Alpes-Maritimes
Three unmarked vehicles cover 2,500 km of roads along an initial 44 routes
The Promenade des Anglais is expected to be one of the routes that the vehicles are patrolling
Alexander Chesarev/Shutterstock
Private radar cars are now circulating in the Alpes-Maritimes department, as it becomes the latest French area to bring in the controversial measure.
The prefecture confirmed the roll-out of three such vehicles, circulating since Monday November 3, on around 2,500km of roads and motorways in the department.
The exact routes have not been identified to the public with an initial 44 routes being covered by three unmarked vehicles.
The vehicles are being deployed to reduce road fatalities, stated the prefecture as it announced the rollout.
The routes will be updated monthly based on statistics, and will look to focus on the ‘most accident-prone’ stretches of road.
This may include the famous Promenade des Anglais along Nice’s seafront, which has seen several road fatalities in recent years and was previously highlighted as an area the cars are expected to frequent based on road statistics.
Plans to begin operation of the vehicles were announced in July 2025. The department is one of the last in France to see the vehicles rolled out – by the end of this year only the Île-de-France and Corsica regions will not be using them.
The vehicles patrol 24 hours a day and on weekends, and can be difficult to spot unlike marked police vehicles. They do not remain mobile when checking the speed of vehicles.
Drivers work six-hour shifts and are contracted on a full-time basis, with monthly salaries changing slightly based on the company contracted to conduct operations in the department.
The drivers do not reportedly receive commission for each vehicle they report for speeding.
Vehicles can often move between departments, meaning it is difficult to keep track of which cars are being used to check speeds. However, the prefecture said ‘Berlin’ type vehicles are being used in the Alpes-Maritimes.
Non-official websites exist that claim to list the number plates and models of the cars but there it is not certain that any of these are up to date or accurate.
If caught speeding by one of the vehicles, note that the margins of error are double those for traditional fixed speed cameras.
