Wisconsin State Patrol Increases Aerial Enforcement

The Wisconsin State Patrol is adding more enforcement to the skies to help crack down on speeding and reckless driving. The aerial enforcement takes place year round, but efforts ramp up in the summer months with more traffic on interstates and highways. When a pilot sees a violation, they communicate with ground-based troopers to initiate a traffic stop. Pilots with Wisconsin State Patrol fly at 1,500 to 2,000 feet above the ground for about four hours at a time to look for speeding vehicles, reckless driving and tailgating. With the help of technology on the roadways, lines spaced 660 feet apart help them calculate an average speed over a short distance. Wisconsin State Patrol says speeding continues to be a growing problem in Wisconsin. The number of 100+ mph citations issued by State Patrol rose during the pandemic. In 2019, 583 citations were given out for speeds over 100 mph. That number rose to 1,403 citations in 2020. State Patrol troopers issued 1,159 100+ mph citations in 2022.