The province of North Holland is extending the trial with flying a drone in the event of accidents and breakdowns on the road and water. Initial results at the Kooy Bridge in Den Helder show that the drone is usually present faster than a road inspector. Emergency services can therefore take the right measures sooner. The test will be expanded with a second location.
The first results of the use of a drone on the road and on the water are according to: Province of North Holland ‘promising’. Tests around the Kooy Bridge in Den Helder show that a drone can provide images within 9 to 12 minutes, while a (water)way inspector takes an average of 15 to 30 minutes on the road.
‘Flowed less often than expected’
The test passed started in July last year and continues for a maximum of another year. Due to technical challenges with the software, the aircraft ultimately flew less often than expected. In the future, the drone will also be used in real incidents. In addition to the test location in Den Helder, a second test location in North Holland is now being sought.
Last summer, NH spent a day at the test location in Den Helder with Paul Hagnauer, drone pilot at Rijkswaterstaat. Watch it below:
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The aim of the test is to gain a quicker overview of the situation in the event of incidents from the air. This way, the traffic control center can manage emergency services in a more targeted manner, such as ambulances, recovery vehicles or cleaning services. This should also ensure that roads or waterways are released more quickly.
Whether the drone is ultimately used on a larger scale in the province depends on the results of the trial. In addition, research is being conducted into whether a drone can also be used for road or nature management.
Privacy and security
The province emphasizes that privacy and security are handled with care. The drone only takes images of incidents and flies over homes and businesses as little as possible.
