Since this summer, the Ministry of the Interior and Road Safety has been testing the installation of mini-turret radars, called ETU (urban field equipment), in several French cities, notably in Toulouse.
An ever more formidable control. In Toulouse, the Ministry of the Interior and Road safety are currently testing the implementation of a new type of radar: ETUs (urban field equipment). They have the appearance of scale models of the turret radars, present on the roads since 2019. Smaller, more discreet, these mini cabins can be easily defined with street furniture, allowing them to blend into the surroundings. In addition, ETUs do not emit a “flash” when they have caused a violation. The experiment also includes empty “decoy” cabins, which are not in service, placed in the city for a “deterrent” effect.
Coming into service?
For now, their objective is to detect speeding in both directions of traffic and failure to comply with red lights. Ultimately, they could issue several offenses simultaneously, such as: seat belts not fastened, telephones while driving, crossing solid lines and cars driving on bus or bicycle lanes.
The test phase, for the moment “without ticket” according to Road Safety, should end at the beginning of the year 2022. If it proves conclusive, the device could be put into service in several cities of France from the start of the year. ‘next year.
Limit damage
During the social movements of recent years, and in particular the Yellow Vest crisis, hundreds of classic radars have been degraded. The Interior Ministry had even spoken of 75% of French devices destroyed, attacked, neutralized or damaged. Thus, the position of these mini-turret radars, placed between three and four meters high, make it possible to limit acts of vandalism (tags, fires or cover with a garbage bag).