Abu Dhabi Police has launched surveillance aircrafts to monitor traffic on roads to catch offenders and photograph them, while keeping watch for any illegal gatherings and curbing dangerous stunts by reckless youths.

Brigadier Hussein Ahmed Al Harthi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police (photo), said that this also aims to help the Directorate determine areas of traffic congestion on the Emirate’s internal and external roads and dispatch traffic patrols to ensure a smooth flow of traffic in the designated locations.

Al Harthi pointed out that the air patrols will also be on the lookout to report any vehicles without number plates or vehicles with fake number plates to traffic patrols.

The air patrols will also carry out day and night patrols to ensure crowd management and photograph youths to curb their reckless behavior for their own safety. This aims to control stunts due to the risks they entail, as well as reduce traffic accidents that often lead to injuries and deaths, or cause damage to other road users.

Al Harthi warned the youths against performing such dangerous show-off stunts with vehicles and motorcycles.  He reiterated that air patrols and traffic civil investigation patrols on the emirate’s roads will work to enforce the law by arresting offenders and confiscating their vehicles or motorcycles; and will refer any irresponsible behavior to concerned authorities for legal actions.

Staff Brigadier Pilot Ali Mohammad Al Mazrou’i, Chief of the Air Wing Section at Abu Dhabi Police stated that the traffic surveillance aircrafts are equipped with modern thermal cameras that provide efficient and accurate imaging regardless of weather conditions; with reliable night functionality.

This would allow traffic-related authorities from photographing and identifying traffic offenders, in order to report them to the traffic investigation officers.