It's becoming clearer that drones are going to be part of our future.
Chad Livengood of the Detroit News writes that Michigan State Police could become the first police agency in the nation with statewide authorization to deploy an aerial drone to photograph vehicle crash scenes and give a bird's-eye view of other emergency situations.
The News reports that the state police hope to get permission next month from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly a $158,000 remote-controlled tiny helicopter around the state.
The News reports that state police pilots have been training to use for more than a year.
The News reports:
State police officials say the drone should reduce the time required to survey and reconstruct major crash scenes like the 193-vehicle pileup that shut down a section of Interstate 94 between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek earlier this month.
It took two days to reopen the highway after the pileup, in part because crash investigators had to take detailed measurements and photos of the scene before they could begin clearing the wreckage of passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, Etue said. Ontario Provincial Police reports up to an 87 percent reduction in the time for its drones to photograph and reconstruct crash areas.
