We imagine that the flashes of this site radar must have surprised motorists, even the most respectful of the Highway Code. Blame it on a communication error between state services and a department. This Friday, the departmental council of Gers, announced on its Facebook page “a setting error on a radar”.
This had indeed been installed by the State services on the R928 between Solomiac and Mauvezin. Except that “this section of road has reported a speed increase to 90 km / h since June 2022, following the decision of the county council”, can we read in a press release.
Problem: this site radar having previously been set for a speed limit of 80 km/h, it flashed all users traveling from 80 km/h and who nevertheless thought they were below the maximum authorized speed. A blunder that the Gers intends to fix.
“If you were flashed between Solomiac and Mauvezin and you were traveling at less than 90 km/h, you can contest your report (upon receipt of it) by downloading the traffic order signed by the President of the departmental council”, advise the publication.
At least 37 departments have returned to 90 km / h
“Flashed this (Friday) morning at 86 km/h! “, irritates Chantal under the Facebook publication of the Gers. “Very good news because I was surprised,” adds Yohann, also a victim of this bad configuration. “A joke”, considers Christophe, disillusioned. The press release, which offers motorists to download the traffic order to exculpate themselves, nevertheless ensures that “the radar will be brought into compliance (…) as soon as possible by the State services”.
For several months, it has not always been easy for drivers to find their way around. After lowering the speed of all two-way secondary roads without a central reservation to 80 km/h in July 2018, the government gave each department the possibility of derogating from this rule. What at least 37 departments have undertaken. The Gers has thus brought more than 350 km of its network back to 90 km/h.
A highly criticized measure that would have made it possible, according to the interministerial delegate for road safety, Marie Gautier-Melleray, “to save 349 lives in 20 months”. According to its report, the reduction from 90 to 80 km/h of the speed limit on national and departmental roads led to an average drop of 3.3 km/h in speeds on the axes concerned.