Police use drone to crack down on speed racing, catch driver doing nearly twice the limit

Delta police say they're using a drone to catch speed racers. (Delta Police Department)

Vancouver -

Police in Delta are trying a new method to crack down on speed racing and recently caught one driver going well over the speed limit.

The Delta Police Department said it's using a drone to help spot offenders. Last week, officers used the drone on Tsawwassen First Nation lands and around Highway 17.

On Aug. 26, police impounded one driver's car and ticketed them for excessive speed after they were spotted doing 157 km/h in an 80 zone.

"The drone allows our officers to have fantastic visibility over a wide area, as well as zoom in on offender’s license plates," said Acting Sgt. Grayson Smith, head of the Delta Police Traffic Section, in a news release.

"Instead of trying to pull over these drivers going at high speeds, the drone operator follows them, and officers who are strategically placed can make these stops when safe to do so."

Other speeding tickets and vehicle inspections were also conducted that day. One vehicle was towed for being "mechanically unfit" after it appeared to be modified for street racing.

"Using the drone in this manner was definitely productive. We’ll be making use of it for future enforcement initiatives of this nature," Smith said.

"We wanted to release this footage to put a certain type of driver on notice – your reckless driving won’t be tolerated."

Fines in B.C. are based on how much over the speed limit a person is driving, among other factors including whether they were in a school or construction zone.

Drivers with one or more ticket for excessive speeding pay a driver risk premium, which is based on convictions and reviewed in three-year periods. More information on these premiums is available on ICBC's website.