ASHWAUBENON (NBC 26) — To enhance safety for travelers, the Wisconsin State Patrol used aircraft and ground-based officers to enforce speed limits and other traffic laws as part of an aerial enforcement mission Thursday afternoon along Interstate 43 in Brown County.
"Speeding is an obvious contributor to crashes," said State Trooper Ben Wyant. "It gives you less reaction time. The higher the speed, typically the more risk of injury there is if there is a crash, so we're looking for voluntary compliance. We want people to go the speed limits. Those are set by engineers who know what speed is most appropriate for this roadway and this area."
Most State Patrol aerial missions are made possible through federal funds specifically designated to support traffic law enforcement. The State Patrol analyzes data on traffic citations, crash reports and related information to identify highway corridors for enforcement initiatives.
State Patrol aircraft use a timing device known as Visual Average Speed Computer and Recorder, or VASCAR, along with highway markings to determine vehicle speeds. When pilots detect speeders, aggressive or reckless drivers, they contact ground-based units to initiate a traffic stop.
The Department of Transportation created a YouTube video to show the role of the State Patrol’s Air Support Unit.
