During this holiday period, control operations are stepped up in Limousin. Especially in Haute-Vienne, the accident toll is alarming: 2021 is the deadliest year on the roads for six years.
Over the year, the prefecture has identified 401 accidents which killed 30 people and more than 480 injured. After two years of confinement, the behaviors relaxed and excessive speeding increased by 38% in fatal crashes. To fight and intervene on great speeding violations, the gendarmerie has acquired a new fast and very powerful vehicle. France Bleu Limousin got on board.
– Melanie
The speed can climb up to 260 km / h
Posted on the ramp at the exit of Saint-Junien, at the entrance of the RN141, it is only necessary to wait a few minutes before the mobile radar detects speeding. The two gendarmes of the rapid intervention brigade immediately set out in pursuit of a black 4×4. The engine and siren are blaring. The gendarmes’ car overtakes dozens of cars and we read 236 km / h at the meter. But the speed can still climb to 260 km / h “when traffic permits”.
After a few seconds the 4×4 is caught up and the gendarmes signal to it to follow them. This time everything is going as planned. “Sometimes the drivers stop altogether on the road because they don’t understand. There it becomes stressful”, comments the pilot. Both cars stop at the next exit. The driver was driving at 137 km / h on the road limited to 110 km / h: result two points less on the driver’s license and a fine of 90 euros.
There is onlyonly one car of this type for checks in Limousin. The rapid intervention brigade and its two pilots are based in Uzerche (Corrèze) and carry out interventions in the three departments of Limousin. Only two gendarmerie pilots trained on the Le Mans racing circuits are authorized to drive it.