Nice has installed its first mobile speed camera on Promenade des Anglais, launching an ambitious road safety initiative aimed at tackling dangerous driving on one of the French Riviera’s busiest roads.
The mobile construction site camera was positioned on Tuesday at 105 Promenade des Anglais, in the Magnan district, monitoring traffic travelling east to west in the 50km/h zone. The installation represents a compromise between local authorities and the French state, which was unable to provide permanent fixed cameras immediately.
Mayor Christian Estrosi, who has been campaigning for traffic enforcement on the famous boulevard, welcomed the development in a post on X. “For months we have been demanding the installation of radars on the Promenade des Anglais to protect the people of Nice. The State has finally reacted: mobile construction site radars are in place, waiting for permanent devices. We will not give up anything in the face of the drivers who endanger the lives of the people of Nice, and sometimes even our agents!” he wrote.
The urgency behind the initiative becomes clear when examining the stark accident statistics. Since 2020, the Promenade des Anglais has claimed 19 lives and left 49 people seriously injured. The seven-kilometre stretch sees nearly 175,000 vehicles pass through daily, making it one of the busiest roads in the region.
Recent incidents have highlighted the severity of the problem, with the latest incident dating back in January, when a cyclist was killed after being struck by a 20-year-old travelling at high speed whilst under the influence of alcohol. Days earlier, police officers were injured during a pursuit of a motorist clocked at 119 km/h in the 50km/h zone.
Locals react to the new installation
The newly installed mobile construction site camera is deliberately conspicuous – described by locals on social media as anything but discreet. The large grey box positioned on a parking space will be regularly moved between five identified locations along the promenade to maximise effectiveness.
Nice’s future plans include the installation of four permanent speed cameras along the Promenade des Anglais, plus three additional units at other accident-prone locations throughout the city.
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Photo credit: Kyriaki Topalidou, Monaco Life