Police use drones to fine traffic violators

The Public Prosecution Service has granted police permission to use drones to issue traffic fines.

Officers have already started using the new power to target serious offences on the road.

The drones focus on violations such as driving under a red cross, reversing on motorways, and cutting across gore points or chevrons.

Enforcement without stopping drivers

Police officers do not need to pull drivers over to issue a penalty.

Instead, fines can be written using licence plates captured clearly on drone camera footage.

A police drone was recently used for traffic monitoring near the Coentunnel, where officers recorded and penalised several violations.

Expanded role for aerial devices

Police have worked with drones for years, but their use was previously limited.

Past deployments mainly involved search operations, criminal investigations, and crowd monitoring at large demonstrations or football matches.

Source: AT5