Police departments are increasingly turning to drones as a tool for tracking and apprehending riders of non-street legal e-bikes, off-road electric motorcycles, and other non-compliant vehicles being used on public streets and trails.
The latest example comes from the UK, where Humberside Police recently deployed drones as part of a special enforcement effort targeting illegal e-scooters, off-road electric motorcycles, and motorcycle theft. According to the BBC, officers used drones to identify riders, direct ground units, and monitor areas where illegal riding activity had been reported.
In one case, officers used drone footage to locate and seize an illegal e-scooter being ridden by youths. During the operation, police also responded to reports of riders on off-road motorcycles wearing balaclavas and using public parks and trails. Without identifying plates on the bikes and with their faces covered, youths on off-road e-motorcycles can often evade enforcement by traditional methods when police forces are discouraged from mounting dangerous high-speed chases. But with drones, officers can be directed right to the offenders, often surprising them before they can flee.
According to the BBC, Humberside Police’s Operation Yellowfin has seized more than 100 vehicles over the last year. The force shared that it receives hundreds of reports annually related to illegal riding activity and motorcycle crime, suggesting the issue is becoming a growing priority for law enforcement agencies looking for new ways to keep up with increasingly mobile offenders.
Police say drones offer a significant advantage because they can observe riders from above without immediately alerting them to law enforcement’s presence. That can be particularly useful when dealing with riders who frequently flee from police, creating dangerous situations for pedestrians and other road users.
Many police departments are using drones that are quite similar to simple consumer models, meaning a few thousand dollars can outfit a police force with several sets of eyes in the sky.
The growing use of drones mirrors a trend we’ve seen elsewhere. As electric motorcycles such as Sur Rons, Talarias, and other lightweight off-road machines have become increasingly popular with younger riders, many police departments have struggled to balance enforcement with public safety.
That has led departments to experiment with alternative approaches, including public tip lines, camera networks, and now aerial surveillance.
It’s also worth noting that many of the vehicles involved in these incidents are often incorrectly described as “electric bicycles.” While the vernacular term “e-bikes” is often muddied by use in multiple industries to describe everything from a low-power electric bicycle for children to high-power electric motorcycles like a LiveWire, true street-legal electric bicycles are rarely the culprits involved in police enforcement actions.
In reality, most of these cases involve light electric motorcycles designed for off-road use that lack vehicle registration, insurance, and other requirements necessary for legal road use.
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