Devon and Cornwall Police deploy DJI drones to ensure road safety

The drone unit of the Devon and Cornwall Police department has begun using DJI craft to combat dangerous driving in what they call the first use of UAVs for road safety enforcement in England or Wales.

Devon and Cornwall Police are using their DJI Matrice 300 drones to monitor car and motorcycle traffic along stretches of roads known for high speed or otherwise dangerous driving. The UAVs are described as permitting officers to spot offenders from up to four miles away. They are used in tandem with ground patrols that – once alerted to approaching vehicles – use calibrated laser cameras to determine the degree of excess speeding.

Police officials involved in the campaign say that in addition to the drone tech capturing different data that can be used as evidence if charges are pressed, the mix of aerial video and overlayed metrics allows intervening officers to cut through the usual driver claims of innocence. 

“(The) camera doesn’t lie,” notes Sergeant Chris Linzey.

Rather than allowing the force to max out its moving violations ticketing, however, Devon and Cornwall Police say deployment of their DJI drones instead aims to reduce the heavy death and injury counts on the area’s roads in recent years. 

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Those accidents have been particularly high involving motorcycles, which have racked up over 200 fatalities or serious injuries each year since 2017 – roughly a third of the total, despite those vehicles making up less than 1% of all traffic.

The pairing of Devon and Cornwall Police drones and motorized ground patrols seeks to identify, intervene, and stop speeding or dangerously driven vehicles, then educate drivers about the risks they’re creating for themselves and others. Prosecution will be reserved to more serious violations.

“This innovative use of drones will give us early warning of any offenses and allow us to be far more targeted in our approach on the ground,” said Inspector Colin Harper, a member of Devon and Cornwall Police’s drone team. “We will be deploying this technology on roads where we know motorbikes are travelling too fast, and also around dates and locations where motorcycle events are scheduled to take place… Our focus is on motorcyclists who are at highest risk according to our data, particularly at this time of year when more riders will be venturing out again after the winter.”

In addition to using DJI Matrice 300s for their high-resolution cameras and long-distance zoom capacities, Devon and Cornwall Police say the drones are capable of operating well in a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions.