soon helicopters to track us?

What if the police in France had helicopters to track down speeders? A practice already tested among our neighbors…

To combat speeding, we are familiar with automatic radars, whether fixed or mobile. But did you know that speed cameras law enforcement helicopters can also be used for this purpose? This method is particularly effective.

A practice already experienced in Spain

In 2024, aerial patrols have been organized by law enforcement to control the speed of road users in France. However, these operations still remain rare today. This is not the case everywhere in Europe, and in particular in Spain: in Cataloniaaerial patrols allowing track speeding motorists are common, and are a real success for the authorities.

The numbers speak for themselves: over the last six months, 3.500 infractions to the Highway Code were recorded in Catalonia, including 1,000 for speeding. This data comes from the Catalan Traffic Service (Servei Català de Trànsit), which even shares some remarkable cases on social networks, like the French Gendarmerie. For example, a vehicle was spotted at 199 km/h instead of 120 km/h by a law enforcement helicopter. The driver, a tourist who was quickly intercepted, will then have to pay a heavy fine.

Be careful if you travel to Europe

While this may seem anecdotal, it is important to note that this situation could concern you, especially if you regularly drive in other European countries such as Spain. Indeed, on December 5, the Council of Transport Ministers of the European Union adopted three agreements between member countries. One of the flagship measures now makes it possible to remove points from a motorist’s driving license for an offense committed in another member country. Until now, only fines were possible. Now you can even lose your precious driving license…

With this decision, Europe wishes harmonize sanctions between the different member countries of the European Union. The authorities will therefore have ten days to transmit information relating to the offense to the motorist’s country of origin. In summary, if you travel to Catalonia and are flashed by a helicopter or plane, you could receive a ticket at home.

The tracking down speeders by helicopter is not yet carried out on a large scale in France. But beware, this could quickly change if our Spanish neighbors are to be believed…