Common driving offence now detected from the sky in Burgundy
One driver was caught after an aircraft spotted the behaviour from above
Published
A common and often underestimated driving offence has been targeted from the air in Burgundy, after police deployed an aircraft during a road-safety operation in Saône-et-Loire.
The operation took place on August 18 on the RN70, part of the Route Centre-Europe Atlantique, as authorities stepped up controls following a rise in road deaths in the department.
The Préfet de Saône-et-Loire said in a Facebook post that 273 accidents, 368 injuries and 22 deaths had been recorded in the department since the beginning of the year, with road deaths up 22%.
The road-safety operation involved reinforced resources including aerial and canine units, targeting speeding, alcohol, drugs and dangerous driving behaviour.
Among the offences targeted was a behaviour familiar to many motorists: driving too close to the vehicle in front.
Belgian coach fined after being spotted from the air
During the operation, a Belgian coach driver was caught failing to maintain a safe following distance.
A Cessna light aircraft operated by the Police aux frontières (PAF) was flying above the RN70 when the coach was spotted and stopped by police on the ground.
The driver was fined €135, reduced to €90 because he paid immediately.
The driving behaviour, although common, is not only stressful for the car driving in front, but can also become dangerous as the driver following too closely may not have enough time to brake or manoeuvre if the car in front breaks suddenly.
The two-second rule
The French Highway Code requires drivers to leave enough space to avoid a collision if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops.
Article R412-12 specifies that the safety distance must correspond to the distance travelled in at least two seconds. At 130 km/h, this is approximately 72 metres.
Failure to maintain the required distance can result in a €135 fine and, for a French driving licence, a three-point deduction.
It is also important to remember that the obligation applies to the driver behind. If another vehicle moves into the space in front of you, you are expected to slow down and restore the required safety distance.
Aerial policing is becoming more common
The Saône-et-Loire operation does not mean that every driver who tailgates will now automatically be monitored by an aircraft. However, the aircraft provides an additional tool for police during large-scale operations.
The Police nationale has also highlighted the wider use of aircraft for road enforcement in a recent Facebook post.
On August 25, it described another operation on the A31 near Nancy in which a police aircraft flew at around 400 metres and transmitted information directly to officers on the ground. During three hours of flying, 23 offences were detected.
