The drones can fly 30 metres above the ground, giving officers a clear perspective of what’s happening on the road below.
“There, I see all the vehicles on the lanes in both directions. It is especially the heavy goods vehicle overtaking ban violations that I will be able to see,” a police officer recently told France Info.
One of the drivers who broke the overtaking ban was fined 90 euros, and reportedly reacted with astonishment when hearing he was caught using drone footage.
Within a two-hour period, as many as 6 HGV drivers were fined with the help of the drone footage.
In May of this year, police in Germany’s Brandenburg region revealed how a drone is being used to monitor if lorry drivers are adhering to overtaking bans and maintaining at least 50m to the vehicle in front.
Moreover, in November 2022, a Polish police department based just outside of the nation’s capital explained how it is using drones to catch motorists using their smartphones while driving.
Drones are also set to be used to monitor people smuggling via truck in Austria, while road traffic inspectors in the Netherlands have used drones to monitor weekly rest compliance.
