Accident Investigation

Advances in drone technology have reached the point that UAVs provide equivalent surveillance as can be provided by any other aerial option, at a fraction of the cost. The same cameras, the same analysis instruments, can now be carried by drones, eliminating additional human risk involved in piloting previously requisite helicopters or planes to provide the same footage and analysis data.

Public Safety

Every accident includes the potential of human casualty and injury. When accidents occur, it can be difficult for First Responders to quickly analyze the full scope of an accident scene. The ability for First Responders to quickly take an aerial inspection, whereas it may take hours for an aircraft to be deployed, can make the difference if locating and saving accident victims within minutes. This is critical in locating potential victims.

Traffic Delays

Often accident scenes take hours to be inspected. One recent report indicated that “Highway accidents alone cost this country $871 billion each year in economic damages, loss of productivity and other social harm.” (http://gdallashorton.com/how-much-do-auto-accidents-cost/ ). Often, analysis is recorded on-site, then analyzed after-the-fact, in order to keep traffic flowing. The use of drone technology exponentially reduces the time and cost to capture this data, resulting in shorter traffic delay times.

Liability

The tragedy involved in accidents far outweighs any other involvement. However, when accidents occur, the identification of the cause is important, not only to help prevent further incidents, but to injured parties and insurance companies. Insurance claims and legal proceedings can be costly. The utilization of drones reduces the cost of investigation analysis.

Hazard Avoidance

Often accidents involve hazardous elements, such as fire, gas leaks, etc. Deploying UAVs to quickly survey accidents can save the lives of First Responders, by avoiding such dangers.