Are drones the future of close pass operations? Police in Canada to use drones as part of attempt to clamp down on dangerous driving around cyclists

West Midlands Police and cycle safety advocate PC Mark Hodson may have pioneered police close pass operations in the UK, but across the pond officers in Canada are upping the technological road safety ante – by enlisting the help of drones to spot and catch motorists driving dangerously around cyclists.

As part of Ontario Bike Month, police officers in the province’s York Region have launched a new enforcement campaign aiming to clamp down on motorists failing to give at least one metre of space while overtaking cyclists, as well as identifying other “dangerous behaviours” on the road, such as the practice of blowing black smoke from the vehicle’s exhaust directly at cyclists, known as ‘rolling coal’.

And according to York Regional Police, drones will form a key part of the force’s attempts to spot examples of both poor driving and cycling by flying overhead and alerting officers on the ground to dangerous actions, potentially leading to warnings, education, or fines.

“We are going to be conducting emphasised enforcement on cyclists and motorists with the help of drones to acknowledge both poor and correct actions on the road,” Constable Kevin Nebrija said as the police launched its campaign, in partnership with the Canadian Automobile Association, and which kicked off with a 40km cycle around the region, located just north of Toronto, starting from police headquarters on 1 June.

“A number of local cycling groups were in attendance, as well as dignitaries from municipalities,” added Nebrija. “We had guests to kick things off and raise awareness around the campaign and why it is important.”

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The campaign, titled ‘Give Me One Metre, It’s the Law’, will also include signs on local buses reminding motorists to give cyclists space on the road, while some cyclists in the community have been given custom jerseys featuring the campaign’s slogan.

Since 2019, six cyclists have been killed on the region’s roads, with 754 reported collisions between motorists and cyclists taking place in the last five years, leading to 547 injuries.

2023 also saw 198 cyclists injured in collisions with drivers, a 52 per cent increase over 2022’s total of 130 injuries. In 2024, meanwhile, 47 cyclists have already been injured in the region until the end of May, 12 more than at the same point last year.

“It is the law to give one metre to cyclists when out on the road,” said Nebrija, who noted that he has received reports of cyclists being forced to ride into the ditch to avoid collisions.

“With cycling increasing in popularity, cyclists are often put in peril by motorists who pass unlawfully, drive dangerously around cyclists, or ‘roll coal’, using a vehicle’s exhaust to irritate riders,” he added, referring to the practice, which originated on the truck racing scene in the United States, of accelerating to pass a cyclist in a lorry and covering the rider in thick plumes of black smoke from the vehicle’s exhaust.

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Some motorists now illegally modify their vehicles to produce the same effect, which has provoked a backlash within the cycling community as motorists increasingly target those on bikes.

“It can affect their vision and breathing,” the officer said. “It is a behaviour drivers exhibit from time to time against cyclists.

“The goal of the One Metre campaign is to change attitudes of both drivers and cyclists and improve the relationship between these groups. Improving driving and cycling behaviours, while increasing knowledge and understanding of the laws, will lead to safe streets and safe people.”

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The Ontario-based police force’s use of drones to attempt to improve the safety of cyclists on the road brings to mind a somewhat different, if short-lived, initiative involving the unmanned flying tech from a product design firm ten years ago.

Back in 2014, Frog – the consultancy that brought you the Sony Walkman – unveiled a conceptual design of a drone that it believed could help improve the safety of lone cyclists.

“The Cyclodrone is a flying beacon that can be configured to fly ahead of and behind a bicycle rider on roads to improve visibility and reduce the chances of being struck by a vehicle,” a product development director at Frog said at the time.

“The drone is paired to the rider’s mobile phone and flies along a predetermined path programmed before the ride.

“Sensors in the drone maintain a safe distance from the rider using a combination of an Infrared sensors and a WiFi connection strength.

“The large beacon on top creates a highly visible warning to cars for safer solo outings on narrow one-lane roads and a camera records dynamic video of each ride.”

Somehow, that particular bike safety drone idea didn’t quite catch on…