The Alpine A110 of the Gendarmerie de la Manche tracks down the speeders

They have been deployed for a few weeks in several departments of France and that of the Channel has finally arrived: the Renault Alpine A110, the new equipment of the gendarmerie of the department. A sports car which should replace the Renault Mégane RS as an intervention vehicle.

The gendarmerie has a specific model with, of course, flashing lights, light signals, the police blue and a sign at the rear of the vehicle. It can display different messages such as “Follow us” or “accident attention” and even in several languages. The novelty is that this panel is controlled on a small remote tablet. No need to be in the car to activate or change the message.

Specially trained gendarmes

With a vehicle of 252 horsepowera passage from 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds and an top speed around 250 km/h, the Alpine is not for everyone. Only two gendarmes in the department have been trained specifically to drive it: warrant officers Thomas Fessonne and Morgan Cherbonnel. They are only a hundred in all of France.

“We have circuit training,” explains Warrant Officer Thomas Fessonne, “You learn to drive quickly and know the limits of the vehicle: braking test, fast curves, driving at very high speeds.” The Alpine must be able to allow law enforcement tointervene as soon as possible so that the infringement ceases and in complete safety. “We have a vehicle which, compared to a “lambda” vehicle, is equipped with specific brakes, specific tires,” explains Warrant Officer Morgan Cherbonnel. For the prefect of La Manche, Frédéric Périssat, it is also a deterrent : “Those who consider that they have very fast vehicles and that they are safe because we could not intercept them, there, they know full well that these capacities are there.

I fined an offender the day before yesterday and he told me “I’m happy to be fined by the Alpine!”

The Alpine which also impresses according to the two gendarmes. “I fined an offender the day before yesterday,” says Warrant Officer Fessonne, “and he said to me” I’m happy to be fined by the Alpine! The vehicle is noticeable and this serves the work of the gendarmes who make do with less protest because motorists know why they are stopped. “They know we’re not here to tell him he didn’t flash,” explains Adudant Cherbonnel, “We are here to take up serious offences.”

Controls all the more necessary as there has been a relaxation in the behavior of motorists, reports the prefect. In the Channel, 11 people have been killed and 177 injured since January 1, 2022. This Friday, May 13, police and gendarmerie checks in Saint-Lô revealed a positive alcohol screening, 16 speeding more than 20 km / h above the limit, including a motorist who was driving at 170 km/h instead of 110 km/h, who was positive for alcohol, with a suspended driver’s license and who refused to obey the police.