Police take to the sky to target speeders

(CBC) - Police in Alberta are using helicopters to stop speeders and dangerous drivers on provincial highways.

Officers from Edmonton police and the RCMP are flying over high-traffic areas such as the Queen Elizabeth II Highway between Edmonton and Calgary and Highway 63 to Fort McMurray, as well as roads in Edmonton.

Insp. James Stiles, with RCMP K Division Traffic Services, says police are tired of going to traffic collisions and fatalities that didn't need to happen.

"We've all driven some of the highways in Alberta," Stiles said. "You don't have to be a police officer to realize that some of that driving behaviour out there is extreme and it puts us all at risk."

Six officers, three from the Edmonton Police Service and three from the RCMP, have been trained to work in the aircraft.

These observers will alert officers on the ground to any illegal behaviour. Those below will then track the drivers down.

The helicopters have the ability to clock driver speed in 500-meter increments, as well as observe other illegal practices such as crossing solid double yellow lines or passing on the right.

"Aircraft enforcement isn't a magic wand for us," Stiles said. "It's not something that we'll employ and all of a sudden all those driving behaviours will be corrected .... We need Albertans to buy into road safety."

The program has already been used in Alberta, Stiles said. Fifty-four drivers were ticketed on Highway 63 over three days in August.

"Four of those tickets were written for drivers that were exceeding the speed limit in excess of 150 kilometers an hour," Stiles said.

On average, 450 people are killed, and 3,000 are seriously injured, each year on Alberta roads.

Story from TELUS NEWS:

http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/arti...icleID=2994512