Targeting Aggressive Tailgating with "Eyes in the Sky"! — The Full Scope of Mie Prefectural Police's "Sky Eye Enforcement" and Preventive Measures for Overseas Drivers to Learn

The Mie Prefectural Police are strengthening their "Sky Eye Enforcement," which involves monitoring malicious "aggressive driving" from the sky and coordinating with ground units to make arrests. Since its introduction in 2018, they have established a system where high-altitude surveillance cameras on helicopters detect dangerous vehicles and guide patrol cars to stop them in just a few minutes. As of July 2025, 88 cases have been prosecuted in 33 operations, with the shortest arrest taking only 2 minutes. This initiative is in response to the nationwide increase in aggressive driving and the stricter penalties introduced by the revised Road Traffic Act in 2020. Experts suggest specific measures such as "maintaining a safe following distance," "installing dashcams and recording stickers," and the "digital rearview mirrors increasingly popular overseas," emphasizing that changes in driver behavior are key to eradication. For foreign drivers visiting Japan, understanding the latest traffic regulations and surveillance technologies could provide valuable insights for safe driving.