The Association of Manufacturers and Operators of Fixing Systems "OKO" proposed to the authorities to allow the use of drones to control driving into oncoming lanes and onto the shoulder. The technical capability to record violations automatically already exists, but it is prohibited by law.

The Government of the Russian Federation confirmed to "Kommersant" the fact of receiving the appeal from "OKO". The document was forwarded to the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to the law, to record traffic violations, the camera must be installed on board or on the roof of a car. However, a drone in the air does not have a fixed location. A photograph taken by it can only be attached to an administrative case. To issue a fine, the driver must be found, shown the footage, and a protocol drawn up, explained "OKO".

Members of the association propose to amend the law "On Roads", the government decree, and the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The projection of the drone onto the ground will be considered the "installation location". Special warning road signs will be made for UAV control zones.

The expert community reacted differently to this initiative. Rifkat Minnikhanov, director of the SBU "Road Safety" of Tatarstan, called it promising. According to him, the trajectory of a car driving into the oncoming lane is clearly visible from the air.

However, video from UAVs must be human-controlled, only after which a procedural decision can be made, Minnikhanov emphasized.

Grigory Shukhman, an expert on violation recording, was more skeptical of the "OKO" idea. He pointed out possible problems with the readability of license plates. In addition, a drone may make mistakes in determining zones where cars are not allowed to enter, he concluded.