Aircraft patrol cracks down on highway drivers

It’s not often Ontario Provincial Police utilize aircraft in the Windsor or Essex County area to track down speeders or other infractions on Highway 401.

But when they do — like Wednesday with an OPP Cessna 206 deployed between Tilbury and Windsor — then, motorists, beware.

As the aircraft patrolled overhead, 42 charges were levied against drivers, including 16 speeding tickets, 13 infractions levied for commercial vehicles following too closely and even two criminal code charges of driving while disqualified.

Slamming on the brakes when drivers see a police cruiser parked along Highway 401 is a routine occurrence for many who risk travelling over the speed limit. It is for that reason the OPP take to the air to boost enforcement efforts, said OPP Const. Jim Root.

The police aircraft is predominantly used on Highway 400 between Toronto and Barrie — one of the most dangerous stretches of roadway in Ontario.

But OPP traffic managers identify other fatal and serious collision “hot spots” and deploy the aircraft there as well.

“These charges were done in the Lakeshore area,” Root said.

“It’s more of a proactive enforcement opportunity. It’s to let the public know we are everywhere and to get people to slow down.

“People are always looking for traditional speed traps. They may not know the aircraft is watching up above. They are not looking for it, so it’s another way for us to enforce highway safety.”

The plane is manned by a pilot and a police observer who utilizes equipment that calculates the distance a vehicle travels between highway markings to determine a driver’s speed. A vehicle is then identified and the information communicated to an officer in a cruiser on the highway.

The OPP Cessna is also equipped and used for search and rescue or for transporting specialized teams.

Ontario’s provincial force was the first police service in Canada to use fixed-wing aircraft for traffic enforcement, taking to the skies in 1966.

“We just want the public to know we are out there and trying to save lives by enforcement,” Root said.

People are always looking for traditional speed traps. They may not know the aircraft is watching up above.