Reporting of police checks now regulated by law

It has been a few years since the idea has been mentioned, without it ever finally being implemented. If speed camera warnings indicate precisely the location of a cabin or a control have been banned for ten years already, the public authorities are tearing their hair out on the total ban on traffic control reports. Because with the rise of connected devices such as TomTom, Coyote or even Waze, each driver can now warn others of a danger on the road, as well as an intervention of the police. Radars, blood alcohol checks and more recently certificate checks, it is difficult for the police to remain discreet, as reports are increasing rapidly. While this can obviously be useful for drivers, it can nevertheless compromise security operations, especially when it comes to missions aimed at searching for people or detecting alcoholic drivers.

This is why the government now wants better regulate reports, by prohibiting them on an ad hoc basis. No question of removing this feature permanently, but to better supervise it, so that it does not interfere with the work of the police. But in reality, this measure does not really date from yesterday, since it has been included in the Highway Code since December 24, 2019. Except that since then, no more news of this new rule, until this week, then that the implementing decree n ° 2021-468 has just been published in the Official Journal. Concretely, this one affirms that ” the administrative authority may prohibit any operator of an electronic driving or navigation assistance service by geolocation from rebroadcasting using this service any message or any indication sent by users of this service as soon as this rebroadcast is likely to allow other users to escape control ».

Strict rules

In fact, and contrary to what many feared, there is currently no question of a total ban reports by users of connected systems and applications. Indeed, this measure will initially only concern certain situations, such as blood alcohol and drug testing, for a maximum of two hours. People search and identity checks will also be concerned, for a maximum of twelve hours. The whole on a perimeter of ten kilometers around the control when this one takes place in town, and two kilometers when it is in agglomeration. The decision to suspend the reports can then be taken by the prefect or the Ministry of the Interior, in coordination with the police and gendarmerie services. The duration as well as the start and end times of the ban are then communicated to the companies concerned, so that they can do the necessary.

For now, the speed controls are not affected by this ban, as are reports made via social networks. However, the Drivers’ Line of Defense is rather skeptical, stating “ let’s not be fooled: in the long term, the veto will be total “. Applications then have until November 1 to prepare for the implementation of this measure.