Drones become eye in the sky for traffic police in Chengdu

Chengdu police officers have been joined on highway patrols by several special colleagues – drones.

The small, remote-control aircraft have been flying 50 meters above the ground, live-streaming footage to the traffic police office, during this week's Mid-Autumn Festival, a busy period for holiday traffic.

On Thursday, the first day they were used, the drones caught dozens of drivers violating highway regulations in Chengdu. They are not designed to detect speeding, but swoop in and take pictures of drivers making illegal U-turns, driving the wrong way or parking in restricted areas.

"These pictures are a critical basis for issuing tickets," highway police officer Zhong Wei told reporters, explaining that the drones are like mobile CCTV cameras which also allow them to respond quickly to emergencies.

Drones are being increasingly widely used in China. During the deadly storms that swept much of the country in June, they played an important role by flying into areas that would be inaccessible to humans, feeding footage back to rescuers and dropping relief supplies.

However, there are concerns over a lack of regulation of the market. Without supervision, drones raise serious issues concerning areas where it is safe to fly, invasion of privacy and security, according to Zhao Guocheng, CEO of a drone production company.

Photos courtesy of Huaxi Metropolis Daily