Not only will the warning signs be removed, but information about the location of fixed radars will no longer be made publically available.
The government has already withdrawn from their own website the map indicating the location of speed cameras.
Some prefectures have also already used the announcement to start taking down the signs.
The number of fixed radars has substantially increased in recent years, and, as part of the new measures, a further 1000 are to be installed by the end of 2012.
The government is to also experiment more widely with a new generation of radars, able to measure the speed of vehicles over a specific distance within a designated zone, and to distinguish between different types of vehicles and their permitted speed limits.
Detection Systems
One other notable measure that has been announced is to ban the use of speed trap locator alerts.
The use of specific equipment to detect radars is already outlawed in France, but there remain systems (Coyote, Inforad, Wikango) that do indicate the location of radars, and which remain legal.
Other GPS navigational systems (TomTom, Mappy, Garmin) also have radar detection as an option.
In future, the sale, manufacture or importation of radar detection devices will be punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of €30,000.
The use of such devices will also be punishable by a fine of up to €1500 and loss of six points on the licence.
There are around 5 million of these devices currently in circulation in France, so just what the government proposes to do about them remains unclear.
One recent entrant to the market (Avertinoo) is a smartphone application, making it even more difficult to apprend offenders. Similar applications from companies based outside of France will also make it difficult for the government to properly enforce this law.
There are also significant employment implications within France for the companies producing these systems, so it remains to be seen just in what final form the law will be passed.
I do love the French
