The history of DEXTER radars in France dates back to 2018, with a first experiment carried out in Évreux, in Normandy. The principle is simple: instead of installing fixed cabins or using official cars, the state mandates private companies to circulate vehicles equipped with infrared radars. These trivialized cars automatically record speeding, without flash or noticeable reports by drivers.
Invisible and formidably effective radars
Unlike a classic radar, the driver does not know that he was checked. The effect is dissuasive, because uncertainty remains permanent on the road and motorists have an interest in standing at tile.
Over the years, the system has become widespread. If, originally, only a few departments used it, almost all hexagon is now concerned. Only Île-de-France and Corse still escape the system. Since July 2025, six new departments have joined the list: Ain, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Haute-Loire, Pyrénées-Orientales, Tarn-et-Garonne and Drôme. The Loire, on the other hand, has been entitled to it since August 16.
The financial efficiency of the system is undeniable. According to the Driver League, a Radar car brings in an average of 194,000 euros per year to the State (2020 figures). A figure which explains the acceleration of deployment: at the end of the year, the fleet should reach 300 private vehicles, in addition to the 150 radar cars already used by the police.
Two companies won the national call for tenders: Mobiom, in charge of the North and the West, and OTC, which operates in the South. Their drivers follow routes defined by the authorities, established according to the accident rate, traffic and local characteristics. In the Loire, for example, the distribution of journeys takes into account the topography and population growth of certain sectors.
The use of the private sector responds to a double logic, according to the Interministerial Road Safety Committee (CISR): lengthen the circulation time slots of these vehicles to strengthen surveillance, while freeing up time for the police for intervention, investigation and prevention missions. As with any radar, a technical margin applies: 10 km/h for speeds below 100 km/h, and 10 % beyond.
Excessive speed remains the first mortality factor on French roads. In 2024, it was involved in 29 % of fatal accidents identified at the national level. In the Loire, this figure even climbed 36 %.
By multiplying invisible controls, the authorities therefore hope to reduce road accidents. The fact remains that these vehicles regularly arouse the dissatisfaction of motorists, who denounce a logic of profitability than a real desire for prevention. But for the public authorities, the main argument does not change: each excess speed controlled is a potential risk less on the road.
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