Cameras That See Inside the Car: France to Triple Its Behavioural Radar Network by 2028
Published on 10/06/2026 at 03:51 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Speed traps that only measure velocity are becoming a thing of the past. Across Europe, authorities are rolling out multifunction systems equipped with high-resolution cameras and automated image analysis, shifting the focus from how fast a vehicle travels to what the driver is doing behind the wheel.
France is among the countries betting big on the technology. Its so-called radars comportementaux — behavioural radars — are designed to catch not just tailgating but also mobile phone use and unfastened seatbelts, all without an officer on the scene.
Offenders face a standard fine of €135 plus penalty points. Since early October 2026, the consequences have grown steeper: alongside the €135 fine and three points, a driver's licence can now be suspended for anywhere from 15 days to six months. The hardware itself is set to multiply, with plans to expand from roughly 600 units today to 1,700 by 2028.
Poland, Czechia and the Mesta Fusion RN
Other European states are upgrading their own monitoring kit. Poland and Czechia both operate multifunctional installations, among them the Mesta Fusion RN from manufacturer Idemia. The system can track up to 32 vehicles across as many as eight lanes simultaneously.
Polish authorities take a particularly hard line on serious speeding. Anyone caught exceeding the limit by more than 50 km/h on rural or national roads can expect to lose their licence on the spot. Official figures put the number of licences confiscated in 2025 at over 72,000.
What Britain and the US are seeing
Interior-monitoring technology has also produced striking results beyond the EU. Systems from provider Acusensus are in use in parts of the United Kingdom — including Devon and Cornwall, Sussex and Greater Manchester — as well as in the United States. Pilot projects recorded detection rates six to nine times higher than before, while phone and seatbelt violations fell by 50 to 83 percent.
Germany's cautious approach
Germany has been slower to embrace comprehensive camera systems. The Dutch-developed MonoCam exists as a technical option, specifically documenting mobile phone offences in moving traffic. Punishment in Germany carries a €100 fine and one point in the driving fitness register in Flensburg. Rhineland-Palatinate has deployed the MonoCam statewide since 2025, yet no nationwide legal basis for permanent use has been established.
The legal framework sits in Paragraph 23, Section 1a of the Road Traffic Regulations (StVO): a device may only be operated at the wheel if it is neither picked up nor held, and only if the driver's glance away is brief or voice control and read-aloud functions are used.
Regional enforcement data underline how common the problem remains. Saxony's interior ministry reports that nearly 9,300 violations of the mobile phone ban at the wheel were recorded and penalised in the state during 2025.
A continent-wide push against distraction
That distraction behind the wheel ranks as a European priority is evident from coordinated campaigns such as the ROADPOL action week running from 5 to 11 October 2026. During the campaign, states including Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia step up their traffic checks, concentrating on distraction caused by mobile phones and headphones — and targeting all road users, not just drivers. Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang noted that inattentive pedestrians, too, can put themselves and others at risk on the road.
