"Attention, this is the police - put down your phone!" Drones against phones operation in Piaseczno

The "Put down the phone and live" operation was carried out a few days ago at two busiest pedestrian crossings in Piaseczno. In order to be more effective, local traffic police officers - in cooperation with Special Rescue Service - used a drone.

"As a result, not only had the officers a chance to monitor inadvisable behaviour at and around pedestrian crossings, but also to caution passersby with commands like: 'attention, this is the police - put down the phone' or 'attention, this is the police - get off the bicycle'" - Piaseczno County Police spokesperson Magdalena Gąsowska said.

She added that the commands issued through the drone raised pulses in the pedestrians. "This way the officers tried to make people aware that their safety depends largely on their own behaviour. It's extremely important to watch the road and what is happening on it, and people were reminded of these rules during the operation," Gąsowska said.

The spokesperson also mentioned that the officers had carried out 19 stops and issued 15 tickets - 10 to cyclists and 5 to pedestrians. Additionally, they cautioned four people.

"By launching such actions, the police want to draw people's attention to the ever growing problem with "smartphone zombies", and to remind cyclists that there are binding rules at pedestrian crossings that they too ought to strictly follow," Gąsowska said.

She also cautioned that accidents involving pedestrians are most likely to end tragically. "Many accidents could have been avoided if the person crossing the road was very careful and ensured their own safety. Passersby are often absorbed with their cellphones and don't pay attention to the world around them. And yet so little is enough: put down the phone and live," the police officer stressed.