The Government would study the possibility of using automatic radars to report a technical control fault. As the devices are already capable of reading the corresponding thumbnails and already centralized data, this idea could come into effect quickly.
Will speed cameras soon be used to ticket motorists for lack of technical control? Damien Pichereau, deputy (LREM) of Sarthe, would have submitted the idea to Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, minister delegate in charge of transport. The latter would have replied that this possibility was being studied. Technically, it is already achievable according to the site radars-autos.com.
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Radars already operational
Since the establishment of the Insured Vehicles File in 2019, recent radars have been able to read the insurance sticker affixed to the windshield of a car and generate a ticket if a vehicle is not insured. However, this procedure only takes place following a flash triggering for speeding or failure to comply with a red light for example. Speed cameras do not scan the insurance sticker of each car that passes in front of their objective. It would probably be the same for technical control. If it were decided, this new radar functionality could be activated quickly since the data relating to vehicle technical controls are already centralized in the UTAC-OTC database.
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What about vehicles not subject to technical control?
Certain vehicles, such as cars less than 4 years old, vintage cars from before 1960 and motorized two-wheelers are exempt from technical control; cross-checking the data collected by a radar with the vehicle registration system file would theoretically prevent the road users concerned from receiving an incorrect report. The situation would be more complex with regard to vehicles subject to a second inspection following their technical inspection due to a major failure: they may indeed display an expired sticker but have a period of two months to make repairs before re-inspection. However, the main obstacle to the verbalization of the lack of technical control by automatic radars would be legal, because it would require changing the law for the UTAC-OTC to be authorized to transmit the information in question to the authorities, which is not currently the case.
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Which report for lack of technical control?
According to the National Council of Automobile Professionals, around 500,000 cars are currently circulating without valid technical control. Some professionals even estimate that 40% of cars in circulation in France are late to pass their control, or around 10 million vehicles. A lack of technical control is sanctioned by a fixed fine of 135 €. This can be reduced to € 90 if it is paid within three days or increased to € 375, or even € 750, in the event of delay and / or dispute. As for the lack of insurance, the report concerns only the holder of the registration certificate and not the flashed driver if it is another person.
