The Israel Police Traffic Department yesterday began operating a Hermes 450 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), made by Elbit Systems (Nasdaq: ESLT; TASE: ESLT), as part of its enforcement of traffic laws. The UAV will also be used to track delinquent drivers. Use of the Hermes 450 is a joint project of the police and the Ministry of Transport National Road Safety Authority.
The UAV was launched at noon from a landing strip in the Golan Heights, and immediately began transmitting real time information to its operator on the ground, and to screens installed in police patrol cars.
According to the plan, when the ground operator sees a vehicle committing a traffic violation, he sets the UAV to follow the vehicle. Police cars stationed in the area will then stop the driver, and the officers will show him on their screens the film shot by the UAV documenting the violation.
A legal opinion obtained by the police states that the video films shot by the UAV constitute admissible evidence in court when used to support the testimony of a police officer trained in traffic patrolling from the air.
The police have already been using six helicopters and one airship for a year. Police traffic chief Major General Shachar Ayalon decided that the UAV would be initially used for enforcing traffic laws on the Wadi Ara road (Highway 65) and the Acre-Tzfat (Safed) road (Highway 85).
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on September 15, 2005