(WJW) – The FOX 8 I Team obtained video giving you the first look at the Ohio State Highway Patrol busting speeders with a new high-tech ‘eye in the sky.’
This comes with a growing concern over extreme speeding.
Months ago, the I-Team showed you troopers testing new technology on a highway patrol plane for speed enforcement. Now, we see how drivers are, in fact, getting tickets after getting caught from the air.
The patrol has started using the new speed equipment in the air in Central Ohio. Dispatch audio shows a crew in the plane calling out to troopers on the ground,
The plane captures drivers speeding well above the limit. Before now, troopers used a stopwatch and markings on the highway.
With the new technology, they can clock speed automatically and record cars on video.
The video also shows how the crew in the air guides troopers on the ground to the correct driver to stop.
During one exchange, you hear, “Left lane, 4, 3, 2, 1. Just passed by you. Left lane number 1 is your target.”
The crew then says, “Number 1 in front of you. You’re behind the correct vehicle.”
Drivers recently told us they hadn’t given much thought to an air patrol. Still, troopers plan to eventually start using the plane to catch speeders statewide.
The I-Team recently showed you what traffic sensors are picking up on local highways. Every day, some sensors captured drivers going over 100 miles an hour.
The highway patrol says troopers are writing a lot more tickets for drivers going over 100. That number has gone up 23 percent.
Tickets for drivers 20 miles over the speed limit have gone up even more.
“This is a real game changer,” said Highway Patrol Sgt. Ray Santiago about the new air technology. “Speed, historically, has been one of our leading causes of crashes. This is why we’ve stepped up enforcement on the ground and through the air.”
So, if you don’t glance down at the speedometer, you might have troopers looking down on you.
The air patrol will also be looking out for drivers tailgating and taking road rage on others.
