“It is sometimes the case that a recovery vehicle that is too small arrives in the event of a breakdown on the N9, for example. It takes an unnecessary amount of time and delay if another car has to arrive. With images from a drone you can immediately see what the situation is and what is needed,” said a spokesperson for the province of North Holland.
More will follow in the coming months more test flights around the intersection of the Kooybrug, on the N9, N99, the N250 and the Noordhollandsch Kanaal in Den Helder. It is examined whether the drone can independently reach the incident location within a few minutes to share live images with the control room or traffic control center.
Drone also provides traffic information
The trial also examines whether the data provided by drones is valuable for navigation services. If so, information about closures or traffic jams will appear more quickly in navigation systems. This allows road users to be better prepared on the road. If the follow-up tests go well, the province can also use the drone in the test area in real incidents.
During the trial period (until February next year), the drone will fly within controlled airspace of the Defense Department. Permission is requested for every flight. In addition, the drone is recognizable by the yellow/blue stripes of Rijkswaterstaat. The drone flies over houses and businesses as little as possible.