Speed enforced by aircraft what does this really mean

For some reason every time I see one of those signs I imagine a hellfire missile raining down on the speeding truck ahead of me.

 

That looks like a FL sign. They use Cessna's to clock you with lines on the road and radio to the chase cars. You'll typically see a plane flying a pattern above the interstate. They are typically easy to spot if you know what you are looking for.

 

Ohio Highway Patrol is still is very active in using VASCAR and quite proficient at it. They use Cessna aircraft for the most part, with a couple of helicopters available as well.

 

An A10 is more effective and cheaper to operate but a little slower

 

Distracted flying... what could possibly go wrong?

 

I'd rather use a drone. Operated by some kid in a room thousands of miles away.

 

What Winkjr said is correct. Cut backs in funding and resource revenue drying up, it's a rarity if the A/C sees use anymore. Nowadays, when it does get used, it's usually for an all out blitz or a specific problem area.

One example is NHTSA does random spot checks of all states. If you ever look off to the side of an interstate sometime, and see some plain jane vehicle, with no markings, and speed detection devices being used, but no one is getting pulled over, it's a good bet that's one of their vehicles doing the monitoring. Last time I saw one was I-75 NB off to the right, a couple of miles north of Gainesville, FL.

If a state is either on the verge of being out of compliance by so much of a percentage, whether it be speeding or seat belt non compliance, etc, the state will receive a notice stating it has a certain time frame to get back into compliance or possibly lose all Fed Hwy Funding.

They figure if the stats show it, it means that enforcement has taken a break and motorists aren't taking motor vehicle law seriously. States don't like loosing their funding, and with the squeaky wheel gets the grease mentality now in full swing, that's when you'll see those stretches of 7-10, maybe more, of enforcement vehicles busy with customers along a 1-3 mile stretch for a bit. They can also (And often do) forgo the A/C and set up on overpasses and do the same. They also make sure the PSA's in all avenues of the media are fully informed as well.

Compliance goes up, infractions go down, now everybody's happy again....at least until the next time.

 

It means exactly what the sign says.....

 

It's more of a mental deterrent than anything now. I remember years ago, ILL. would park an older cruiser on the tollway with a manikin inside, and it was quite effective at slowing people down. I don't speed anyway, so I couldn't care less.

 

Northbound I75 out of Atlanta, if you see a cruiser with someone pulled over going up hill there may be 3 more troopers just over the top of the hill. Saw that one day and it was funny to see the people speed up after passing the first officer only to be tagged by the next 3.