STOCKTON, Iowa -- Iowa State Patrol is now incorporating drones into crash scene investigations, to clear up roadways quicker and to get a better angle on accidents.
The Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems will be used in conjunction with total stations. That's what troopers currently use to analyze crash scenes. The two will be used together to confirm that the drones can collect accurate data like the previous equipment.
"The only challenge with total stations is the time," ISP Sergeant Alex Dinkla says. "We understand anytime we have an interstate closed while investigating, it can take two to three hours depending on the crash. To get the total stations set up and get measurements, we have to take the pole and touch every single measurement we need to."
Now, once the drone is launched, troopers say roads can be cleared in about thirty minutes using the sUAS for investigations.
"The drones will fly a scene and take a series of still photos," Sgt. Dinkla says. "We put the photos back into a program and stitch them together to look like a huge aerial photo."
From that animation scene, troopers will be able to measure the scene online to determine the cause of the crash.
With roads cleared quickly, troopers hope they can keep drivers safe.
"What happens at crashes is we close roadways and people 'rubberneck,' or look at the scene, and end up crashing themselves," Rob White, ISP reconstructionist, says. "So then we have two incidents to deal with, and we want to keep everyone safe."
There are eight drone pilots -- called reconstructionists -- across the state. There are two dedicated to the Quad City area and southeast Iowa.
So far, the drone crash scene investigations have been successfully quicker. A Des Moines sergeant used it to analyze a 50-car pileup in Dececember 2019, completing the on-site investigation in about 35 minutes.
"One advantage you can see is when the drone flies higher, we can get better viewpoints with what went on at the scene," White says. "The drone is able to pick up the finest details, from the smallest pebbles to the largest skid marks."
Sgt. Dinkla says they'll use assist any agency with analyzing a crash scene if a pilot is available, and total stations won't be officially retired anytime soon since they may need to rely on the older equipment in poor weather or unsafe conditions.
The state averages 300 fatal crashes a year, and in 2019, Iowa State Patrol investigated 149 fatal crashes.
"We look at every fatal crash and we need to do a great service to each of these family members who had a loved one that was killed or injured in a crash," Sgt. Dinkla says. "We need to be able to provide that service and we need to do it to the best of our ability."