Spain’s radar of shame: It only flashes the French

It’s motorists from Pyrénées-Orientales who are most affected by this infernal machine.

The device, located at La Jonquera (on the French-Spanish border) in front of the Gran Jonquera shopping centre, shows no mercy as it piles up fines and specifically targets French drivers. As reported by the media outlet Demotivateur, since its installation last October, the Iberian speed camera has already demonstrated the full extent of its effectiveness: it has fined 50,553 vehicles, which equates to an average of 400 cars a day. The area between France and Spain is extremely busy with road users, particularly French drivers who cross the border to do some shopping.

There’s just one problem: the speed camera seems to flash almost exclusively drivers from France. According to some information revealed by the site Cronica Global, nearly two-thirds (64%) of the vehicles flashed are foreign, compared to just a third for Spanish drivers (36%). Most of these foreign drivers are French, according to the online media outlet.

A nickname everyone agrees on

This speed camera has become the worst nightmare for the French, who have even dubbed it “the radar of shame”.

According to data from XALOC (the local network of municipalities of Girona), 51% of fines issued to foreign nationals have not been paid in 2024. And who features most among these (bad payers)? The French! The mayor of La Jonquera, for his part, is not backing down and fully intends to “pursue the French drivers penalised”.

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source: Demotivateur - Illustration: ©Unsplash)