In recent years, technological advancements have provided a variety of tools that offer much needed help for law enforcement. Particularly at a time when police departments tend to be understaffed, these types of technologies offer ways to extend their law enforcement capabilities. While tools like RADAR and LIDAR are designed to prevent the bad driving behaviors that cause accidents, drones are proving to be an effective way to investigate accidents that have already occurred.
Mapping & Documenting Accident Scenes
The mapping and documentation of accidents and crime scenes is a process that has always been challenging for law enforcement investigators. This lengthy and detailed process is extremely time-consuming; traffic investigations in particular can cause serious disruption to the affected area. Accident investigators can be limited in their reconstruction abilities as they only have photographs and hand measurements. New drone technology has incorporated adaptive mapping capabilities that allow the drone to “iteratively design a structure-specific 3D scanning path, and follow it with full obstacle avoidance engaged.”
Along the flight path, the drone can capture hundreds of close pictures from many angles, providing a complete representation of the accident scene. The 3D digital imagery reveals essential details that conventional 2D photos cannot provide.
Drones Used For Speed Enforcement
Working toward the goal of accident prevention, drone technology is being used for catching speed and traffic law violators. Drones are also sometimes used to catch bad behaviors such as following too closely and inattentive driving.
Proponents say traffic enforcement drones combine the benefits of helicopters and high-speed cameras. “Drones can be readily outfitted with equipment that will allow them to measure the speed of moving vehicles,” says the Pilot Institute, “as well as identify them via photos and license plates.”
Police serving a suburban community in Canada have reported success with using drones for safely enforcing tickets for dangerous speed violations. They say drones offer fantastic visibility over a wide area and allow police to follow speeding vehicles until they can be safely apprehended.
As effective as drones for law enforcement can be, their use is not without controversy. Opponents cite serious concerns for privacy rights as well as safety with the potential drone crashes. Crash concerns include not only the drone itself, but with drivers being distracted by the disruptive presence of a drone flying overhead.
RADAR and LIDAR Speed Enforcement Tools
While drone technology pros and cons will continue to evolve and be worked out, traditional enforcement tools provide a better choice for today. Handheld RADAR and Handheld LIDAR provide law enforcement officers with effective technologies for promoting safer driving and fewer accidents.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) demonstrates the imminent need for law enforcement to focus on correcting dangerous driving habits. The Kustom Signals LaserCam 4 and ProLaser 4 are two highly effective tools for accident prevention enforcement.
LaserCam 4 High-Performance Photo/Video LIDAR
The LaserCam 4 is an advanced system with 36x optical zoom for capturing irrefutable evidence of a target’s specific tracking history. The speed and range measurements of each target are placed on the frame at the time of measurement. The LaserCam 4 lets you capture the make and model of the vehicle at a much greater range, and records data before drivers notice enforcement operations and reduce their speed.
ProLaser 4 High Performance Handheld LIDAR
The ergonomically designed ProLaser 4 includes features like Event Recall and Display Lock to ensure that a measurement is never lost due to an unintended trigger pull. Since tailgating is a dangerous driving behavior, the ProLaser 4 offers the option for ‘Following Too Close’ (FTC) mode so the distance between vehicles on the road can be accurately tracked.
Learn More About Speed Enforcement Tools at Kustom Signals
Kustom Signals is here to assist law enforcement professionals with understanding how speed enforcement tools can be used to increase the effectiveness of traffic safety programs.
Request a quote to learn more about how we can help you enhance your department’s effectiveness with a speed enforcement program.