The OPP called in its eye in the sky to target rule-breaking motorists in the London area.

Using a Cessna 206 plane, police laid 30 traffic charges in a single-day blitz on Highway 401 in Middlesex County, the OPP said over the weekend.

The bulk of the charges were for following too closely. Other offences included speeding, careless driving, driving while suspended and driving without a licence.

The Cessna, a fixed-wing single-engine aircraft with a range of more than 1,000 kilometres, is used to patrol Highway 400 between Barrie and Toronto, but the OPP also deploy it to other areas identified by traffic specialists.

“It’s not unusual for us to have it in our zone,” Middlesex OPP Const. Liz Melvin said Monday.

Clear skies are needed for the Cessna to be effective, she said.

So how does the system work?

The aircraft is equipped with a sophisticated stopwatch that’s activated when the target vehicle passes a painted marker, known as a hashmark, on the highway.

When the vehicle crosses the next designated marking, the stopwatch is deactivated and the speed is calculated.

“An officer works as a spotter and radios down to the cruiser,” Melvin said of the officer aboard the plane.

“They’ll radio down to vehicles on the highway, and we’ll get deployed as an intercept vehicle.”

The plane also monitors commercial vehicles and motorcycles for infractions. Other uses include search-and-rescue missions and transporting specialized teams.

The OPP have been using an aircraft for traffic enforcement since 1966, when they became the first police force in Canada to do so.

Thursday’s blitz took place during Canada Road Safety Week that kicked off Tuesday and wrapped up Monday. Police targeted impaired driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving and people not wearing seatbelts during the seven-day campaign.

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

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