Ontario Provincial Police used some eyes in the sky to help with traffic enforcement leading up to Thanksgiving weekend.
The result was more than 50 charges for drivers following too closely on Highway 11, as well as numerous speeding charges and warnings.
Members of the Huntsville, Bracebridge, Orillia, and Aurora OPP detachments worked with the OPP Aviation Services during the enforcement blitz Oct. 9 and 10.
Due to heavy traffic and unexpected speed reductions, pilots tracked several near collisions and directed ground units to intercept the vehicles involved, police said in a news release.
As a result, 56 follow-too-closely charges were laid under the Highway Traffic Act, along with 11 speeding charges and 23 warnings.
"On one occasion, a tractor trailer caught the attention of the OPP by weaving through traffic at a high rate of speed," police said.
The vehicle was tracked for 4 km before being intercepted by a ground unit. Police said the driver was issued four separate offence notices.
The OPP said officers and pilots were focusing on the "Big Four" factors in serious and fatal collisions: aggressive driving, inattentive driving, impaired driving and lack of occupant restraints.
Police said aggressive driving includes, among other things, speeding, unsafe lane changes and following too closely.
