The Polizei on 3 November 2026 monitored lorries’ safe following distances on the A2 in Saxony-Anhalt using a drone. According to the motorway police violations were recorded near the Börde, close to the Marienborn service area. Vehicles travelling too close to one another were directed off the road by officers and checked at control points. The aim of the operation is to reduce rear-end collisions involving lorries.
Officers say the operation is justified by the importance of safe following distances for road safety. Lorries travelling at more than 50 kilometres per hour must keep a minimum distance of 50 metres. The drone films traffic lanes from the air, making it possible to document distances accurately over longer stretches. After a violation is identified, motorcycle patrols or police cars stop the vehicles and carry out further checks.
Saxony-Anhalt has been trialling the method since 2025 in repeated targeted operations by motorway police. Large-scale checks were also carried out there in 2026, during which technical defects were identified alongside following-distance violations and, in individual cases, vehicles were barred from continuing their journeys. Beyond the latest day of checks, the authorities point out that insufficient distance is one of the frequent causes of accidents on busy roads.
Other states are testing the technology too. In Baden-Württemberg a pilot project has been running since October 2026, in which police measure A81 at Rottweil lorry distances using a drone. Police in Brandenburg have also previously used a drone to document dangerous situations. The authorities say any decision to introduce this form of monitoring nationwide will depend on evaluating the operations, having a legal framework in place and weighing up the costs and benefits.
The use of unmanned aircraft is governed by national regulations on drones as well as regional permits. Police authorities stress that recordings must be made for a specific purpose and that retention periods need to be regulated. Data protection concerns relate above all to the need to capture material relevant to the violation while excluding as much else as possible.
According to the authorities, there is so far no data on the long-term effects of drone operations on accident figures. In the short term, the checks lead to fine proceedings and restrictions, including occasional vehicles being taken off the road. In the view of road safety experts, the key question is whether the increased likelihood of detection and deterrence will measurably reduce rear-end collisions involving heavy goods vehicles on the A2 and other motorways in future.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).