Drones keep eagle eye on traffic, offenders
A policeman and operators keep tabs on a drone over a South Jeolla highway. / Courtesy of South Jeolla Province police
By Kang Aa-young
South Jeolla Province police are using drones to monitor highway traffic and catch offenders.
“The drones provide a better view and are very mobile,” a Korea Expressway Corp. official said. It rents two drones along with professional drone pilots to the police.
“Police cannot just fly drones,” the official said. “There has to be a professional pilot.”
Despite public concern and media coverage, the official said police never fly drones directly over traffic. A photograph released by news agency Yonhap caused uncomfortable reactions as it seemed to show a drone hovering dangerously close to traffic. But the official said the picture was taken using a telephoto lens from a helicopter, distorting distances.
The drones fly over the shoulders of highways to record traffic, the official said. They send pictures to police when a traffic violation is detected.
The model used is DJI's Spreading Wings S1000, which is popular with professional photographers and videographers.
The “octocopter” weighs about four kilograms and has a maximum takeoff weight of about 11kg. It can fly for up to 15 minutes, according to the DJI website.
“We have been using drones for monitoring traffic violations since last year,” the official said. “We would never use them if they caused any threat to vehicles.”
But experts say there are better options. Kyungsung University professor Oh Seung-hwan says that rather than showing off with fancy technology, police should use a safer system such as airships.
“Drones can free fall and if one falls, it's going to cause a disaster,” he said.