After months without flying, the DGT’s Pegasus return to the skies. And they are already hunting offenders

Since entering service in 2013, Pegasus helicopters have become one of the systems with which the DGT monitors the roads. Apart from controlling the speed of traffic, the cameras are so powerful that they allow them to distinguish whether we look at the cell phone while driving either we don’t wear the seatbelt. Due to maintenance and contract issues, the nine Pegasus they stopped flying for almost two months.

51 million euros later, they are back on the roads. AND they are already catching to drivers who circulate as if the highways were circuits.

The Pegasus of the DGT return

From September 1 to October 25, the nine Pegasus of the General Directorate of Traffic were grounded. They did so due to the expiration of the maintenance contract they had up to that point and, as no company interested in occupying that position for the maintenance of the helicopters had presented itself, the deadlines forced them to leave the service.

Failing that, drones with similar capabilities were responsible for monitoring from the air, but a few weeks ago an agreement was reached to renew this maintenance, as well as an improvement in some components, such as recording systems. With everything in order, the DGT has as aim double annual flight hoursgoing from the 2,750 hours registered so far to 5,500.

It is already bearing fruit.

The video on these lines was caught on November 1, one of the key dates in mobility in Spain, and we can see how a driver without a seat belt reaches a peak of 217 kilometers per hour on a Malaga highway. The ‘prize’ is a 600 euro fine and six license points for going at that speed, as well as another 200 euros for going without a seat belt.

He hasn’t been the only one caught doing 200 km/h recently. In total, The investment will be 51 million euros until 2028 for this road control from the air, but it could reach up to 80 million if the contract is extended for another 22 months. And you may be wondering how they work:

• They are helicopters Eurocopter AS-355 Ecureuil 2 and AS 350 armed with the MX-15 radar that detects speeding at 300 meters high and up to a kilometer away.
• They have GPS positioning to have exact coordinates.
• Using a laser rangefinder, they measure distances and record the position of the vehicle every three seconds.
• They also calculate the average speed of the vehicle.
• In the case of a violation, recording begins and the fine is sent electronically.

Pegasus has shortcomings, such as it cannot record the license plate well in adverse conditions or at night, but The Mossos d’Esquadra have another lookout in the skies: Falcó. It operates in a similar way to the Pegasus, but with the advantage that it allows the license plate to be read both at night and in the rain.

Precisely, one of the problems of the Pegasus is that some of its technologies have become outdated, but with the new maintenance and technological update plans, they want to catch up.

But hey, in the end, the easiest way to avoid being hunted by these helicopters is to pay attention to both the signs and common sense.

Images | DGT Magazine

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