CALGARY- Lead foot drivers beware: RCMP are watching you from the sky.
Mounties and sheriffs have been patrolling Alberta highways by helicopter since the summer, and in just a few months they’ve busted hundreds of violators.
An officer in the chopper times drivers as they travel over painted lines, and can calculate if they’re speeding. When someone is, the officer will radio an officer on the ground to pull the offender over.
“It’s been going very well,” says Cpl. Darrin Turnbull from the RCMP Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit, adding they can also catch extremely aggressive drivers.
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“We’re able to observe them over a longer period of time, longer distance. That leads us to be able to see the bad driving behaviors like following too closely, unsafe lane changes and passing on the right.”
So far, they’ve handed out 57 tickets for such offences in just 48 hours of flying time, along with nearly 400 speeding tickets.
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The helicopter will fly over 50 problem spots throughout the winter, as long as highways are clear enough to see the painted lines.
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