Pay close attention to your speed if you are using French motorways this summer. A radar located on a particular section has held the record for violations fined for several years.
Summer is here, and with it, the long-awaited holidays. Millions of motorists take to the roads of France to reach sunny destinations, often via motorways. But be careful, because these busy routes are also very closely monitored with automatic speed cameras that check speeds and penalize the slightest overtaking, for obvious safety reasons.
Let us recall that, even if the law has changed since January 1, 2024, speeding is still penalized. Any excess of more than 5 km/h over the authorized limit results in the withdrawal of at least one point on the driving license and a fine ranging from 68 to 1500 euros depending on the seriousness of the offense. Only “small” excesses, less than 5 km/h, are no longer penalized by a reduction in points.
According to the Road Safety Authority, more than 4,500 radars of all kinds (fixed speed radars, average speed radars, “discriminating” radars, crossing radars, mobile radars, etc.) monitor the territory. And they issued more than 16 million fines in 2023. But among the approximately 3,500 fixed models that monitor traffic, there is one in particular that crackles more than all the others in France. This radar, located in the south of the country, is the undisputed champion of flashes.
This radar, which records a record number of infractions, is located on the A8 motorway, between Nice and Cannes. Since its installation in 2008, near Cagnes-sur-Mer, it has flashed an average of nearly 200,000 drivers each year. This impressive figure increases further during the summer, when traffic is much heavier. Placed in a strategic location, just before the exit for Cagnes-sur-Mer, this radar catches out many motorists who do not respect the speed limit.
It must be said that in 2018, the speed limit on this section went from 110 km/h to 90 km/h, making this portion even trickier for drivers used to driving faster. And since the summer of 2023, ongoing work has further reduced the authorized speed to 70 km/h. This additional reduction has undoubtedly contributed to keeping this radar at the top of the ranking of the most active in France.
But why is this road so closely monitored? The answer is simple: safety. The Alpes-Maritimes region, which is very touristy, sees a constant flow of vehicles, especially in summer. Reducing speed is a preventive measure to reduce the risk of accidents in an area where traffic is dense and varied, including cars, camper vans, motorcycles and heavy goods vehicles. If you have to take the A8 this summer, be very careful when approaching this section.