Travelling during the first week-end of July in France is known to be a nightmare due to numerous traffic jams on highways that lead to holiday resorts. On July 2nd, 2005, Section of Lyon collaborated with EDSR (Escadron Departemental de Securité Routiere-Departemental Road Safety Squadron) to conduct a road safety operation between Valence and Montelimard-Nord with its F-MJBX Alouette III (MSN 1693). EDSR Observer Lieutenant CHEVAL was picked-up in Saint-Rambert; he was in charge to see traffic offenses from the helicopter and guide Gendarmerie's cars and motorcycles to chase and intercept infringers. The region's Prefet was also taken aboard the Alouette as well as a LCI-TF1 cameraman. Several interceptions occured and tickets given including, for instance, to a bus driver who drove for miles in the middle lane and caused a traffic jam a few kilometers behind him by consequence. Further away, it was a decontracted powerful BMW driver who was performing fast and hazardous slaloms between other cars on the highway who was caught and guided to a parking area. He soon became less decontracted ... Here are pictures taken by Pierre GILLARD during that road safety operation.

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