Interesting article in the latest RAC info email. I’d love to know what drones they propose using!!!
Devon and Cornwall Police have started using drones to record driving habits of its residents – in an effort to improve road safety.
The official ‘Drone Unit’ has partnered with the road police teams to track dangerous drivers and illegal activity.
Due to the changing weather experienced in the UK, the new fleet of drones are fitted with innovative technology that ensures that the drone can keep working in varying weather conditions and temperatures.
According to the new unit, the drones can track a vehicle’s speed on the road, as well as being able to record any incidents. They can then use the video as evidence against drivers who exceed the speed limit.
They can also be used to check a vehicle’s insurance, MOT, and road tax status.
Finally, it can also be used to find and track stolen vehicles.
The information can then be provided to road police, who can then use it to convict those that break the law.
The drones themselves can record a vehicle up to four miles away – and are being deployed in ‘high harm routes’.
This new unit is part of the police’s attempts to cut the number of road deaths and injuries to zero – and is called ‘Vision Zero South West’.
Now I’ve got visions of some desperate drone pilot with blue lights trying to chase a speeding car.
I would assume they set the thing up sitting in a hover and time the cars through those painted timing marks you see on the road. Although with the Matrice’s swappable payloads, they could at least theoretically mount a laser speed gun to a second gimbal.
Most likely that, or any features on or by the road which you can demonstrate are a certain distance apart. Measure the distance between tree A and junction B with a police car with a calibrated speedometer, and you know at maximum legal speed, a car can do the distance in time C. Anyone who does it in less than C is fair game.
We used to use a system called VASCAR that did the same, but which was limited to providing those same measurements by being behind the naughty vehicle at the time, limiting you to dealing with one vehicle at a time. I could see a drone working more like a hovering speed camera here, it wouldn’t actually have to move to provide the necessary evidence.
