Police drones to catch reckless Welshpool drivers

Drones are being used to catch reckless drivers on local roads, Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed.

The force has trained up officers to use drones to monitor, identify and prosecute road users that drive or ride dangerously at accident hotpots after sadly revealing that crashes had caused 90 serious injuries and 13 fatalities in the county.

In a bid to reverse this concerning trend, the force is sending up its drones to help officers identify people carrying out dangerous manoeuvres.

Inspector Gareth Earp said: “Our Roads Policing Unit in partnership with Go Safe are gearing up for the coming tourist season with a focus on improving road safety and driving behaviour.

“Every year we welcome thousands of visitors to the beautiful counties that make up the Dyfed-Powys area and as a unit we are committed to ensuring that both visitors and residents are free to travel safe from harm.

“In line with our aims to improve road safety as part of Operation Darwen and Project Edward (Every Day Without a Road Death), officers from our Roads Policing Unit will now regularly be joined by officers from our specialist drone unit and the Go Safe team and will work together to target this small minority of reckless individuals.

“This joint approach has the aim of improving road safety at its heart, with education and elimination of reckless behaviour as a core principle, coupled with the taking of enforcement where necessary.”

Dyfed-Powys is using the specialist kit to identify people committing the Fatal 5 offences, such as careless driving, speeding and using a mobile phone, with suspected sightings relayed to officers on the ground to follow-up.