Using Drone Topographical Surveys to Assist Insurance and Police Accident Investigations
Introduction
Drones, once a novelty technology only used by a few, are now in prolific use by law enforcement agencies and insurance companies. The eagle-eye view provided helps to build realistic models for accident investigation, thanks to advanced topographical surveys drone technology can undertake.
What Happens During an Accident Investigation?
An accident investigator can’t rely on eyewitness testimony for their reports. They need to gather hard facts as well as witness statements. That process is the same whether it’s for law enforcement or a private insurance investigator: evidence is required to prove what happened, rather than what people think they saw happen.
This means, as well as witness interviews, accident investigators consider the scene around them. They look at potential hazards or risks in the area that may have contributed to the accident occurring. This includes looking at the geography of the area, taking weather into consideration, and the possibility for human error increasing due to conditions such as low light.
What Do Accident Investigators Use Drones For?
Accident investigators used to have to rely on photographs of a scene to build a picture of what happened. This was time consuming and left a large margin for human error.
Drones allow investigators to assess the scene from a bird’s eye view. They can take accurate measurements of the area using technologies like LiDAR, covering far more ground in a much shorter time than traditional methods.
Aren’t Drones Expensive?
The increasing popularity of drones in accident investigation (alongside other uses, such as rooftop inspections, filming, and rescue operations) means that the technology has significantly reduced in price in recent years. The increased accessibility to a wide range of drone types and software means even smaller insurance companies can now afford to use drones as part of their accident investigation arsenal.
Many accident investigators don’t consider the cost of the technology but rather the expertise of the people operating them. Specialist drone topographical surveyors, for example, now have many years of experience as drones have been in the market for some time now. Relying on years of expertise assures accident investigators they can build a reliable picture of the accident scene.
More than the cost of actual drone technology is the cost savings they present, too. The increased accuracy and reduced time to create a comprehensive idea of the scene around the accident means accident investigators can act rapidly. Something that used to take days can now take hours!
Realistic Models with Topographical Surveys
Topographical surveys with drones mean accurate measurements can be taken in a very short amount of time for a large area. These surveys are put to use in the creation of models.
One of the biggest advantages of drone use in accident investigation operations is the ability to use technology to recreate realistic 3D models of a scene. This recreation allows easy interpretation of the accident, and it is simple to develop different theories of what happened based on using these 3D models to simulate all the possible factors and outcomes leading up to the accident.
Creating simulations and models like this helps accident investigators find the facts of an investigation much faster — and so they can quickly act on any findings.
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