4 tips for detecting radar cars, which are becoming more and more common on the roads

It is becoming increasingly difficult to anticipate the presence of radars tracking our speed. While apps like Waze made it possible to slow down when approaching a stationary radar, experiments with radar-based unmarked cars slowed down the anthill. These vehicles allow you to detect speeding, both when driving and when parked, without a visible flash. Now, starting this spring, these radar vehicles, operated by private companies, are deployed in three new regions: Occitanie, Auvergne, Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, representing 126 new vehicles capable of issuing fines. They will now be present everywhere in the country except Ile-de-France and Corsica. Here are four ways to recognize them.

Frequently used models

The private operators in charge of vehicle radars are smart: they chose models that are very common on French roads and therefore difficult to detect. Therefore, among the cars used we regularly find Peugeot 308 and 508, Citroën Berlingo, Ford Focus and Mondeo, Volkswagen Passat and Golf, Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia.

Several pieces of equipment are visible in the cabin.

A large camera is mounted in the center of the front instrument panel, and two small cameras accompany it on the sides of the cabin. A black rectangle with thick outlines is glued to the back of the window. In particular, it makes it possible to recognize oncoming lane signs and therefore flash oncoming drivers. Two cameras are also scanning the road at this location.

Hints on the license plate

Cars’ front license plates have a different font than traditional license plates. The characters are narrow and rounded, and the plaque is mounted on a reflective plastic backing surrounded by a glow-in-the-dark frame. In fact, this detail is difficult to notice with the naked eye at full speed.

The website lists private radar vehicles in each region.

The website radar-prive.fr lists radar vehicles by department and publishes photographs of makes, models and license plates. Once on the site, simply click on the map of France to view the cars operating there. Vehicles that can be regularly moved from one department to another “This list is updated daily based on reported sightings.”the site reports. In 2024, these radars in France recorded 1.2 million messages.