French police catch tailgater with road patrol by plane

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 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 driver fined

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 information was passed to police on the ground. The vehicle was then stopped and the driver fined €135, reduced to €90 because he paid immediately.

Tailgating can become dangerous because a driver who is too close to the vehicle ahead may not have enough time to brake or manoeuvre if it slows suddenly.

Two-second rule applies to all drivers

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 130km/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.

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.

Aircraft provide wider view of traffic

Using aircraft to monitor driving behaviour remains relatively rare, but the Saône-et-Loire operation is not an isolated example.

The Police nationale highlighted the use of aerial surveillance for road enforcement in a recent Facebook post.

On August 25, it described an 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.

Police in Moselle have previously used a small aircraft to monitor traffic on the A31.

In a 2021 operation, an officer on board watched for offences including failure to maintain safety distances, driving in the middle lane and late lane changes, and alerted patrols on the ground so they could intercept the vehicles.

The aircraft was particularly useful for judging the distance between vehicles, with officers able to use road markings to assess whether sufficient space had been left.

Aerial resources have also been incorporated into larger roadside operations.

During a major gendarmerie operation on the A13 in Eure in March 2025, an aircraft, helicopter and drone were used alongside more than 100 gendarmes and other services.

The aerial units helped monitor traffic and identify motorists attempting to dispose of drugs before reaching the main checkpoint.

Aircraft are not a routine replacement for roadside patrols, but rather provide an additional perspective during targeted operations.