On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, Connecticut’s State Senate, led by Sen. Will Haskell, voted 34 to 2 on a transportation bill that would see increases in traffic monitoring cameras and a formal integration of drones into the Department Of Transportation (DOT). Reinforcing existing traffic monitoring cameras and introducing new ones, Sen. Haskell explains, will help first responders identify and respond to traffic incidents in a more appropriate time manner. But, what Sen. Haskell was particularly excited about was increasing the DOT’s drone program. Vitalij Staroverov is a project engineer at the DOT, and one of the department’s 13 Part 107 licensed drone operators. He played a large part in helping Sen. Haskell present this new bill.

Mr. Staroverov was first introduced to drones when he bought a toy one for his son several years ago. After playing with his son and the toy drone, Mr. Staroverov thought, “Maybe I can explore it a bit more just to find out how this can be used in different areas.” He volunteered to show his bosses at the DOT how the drone could be used to carry out complex inspections. Mr. Staroverov impressed the DOT with how easy, efficient, and inexpensive conducting inspections with drones could be. Within a few months, the DOT had him begin training others to use drones for inspections.

“For years now, we’ve used drones for photo and video documentation of intersections of traffic in general,” Mr. Staroverov said. “We use it for some minor bridge inspections for bridge deck inspection and photography, to make an assessment of how many cracks we have and, based on the data that we gather, then come up with a most beneficial solution for that repair.” While this is a great start, Sen. Haskell says that drone use should be increased to help mitigate traffic situations in CT. Referring to a study from in Michigan, Sen. Haskel explained that the inspection of a bridge would take 2 people 8 hours a day at $100/hr. During this time, the bridge would be closed to traffic, frustrating commuters, and ultimately costing the DOT up to $4,600/day.

By using drones to inspect traffic infrastructure, the same 2 person team can complete the inspection in a fraction of the time. The data collected by the drone is often far more detailed than what can be seen by the naked eye, leading to better repair management. The information is also stored for future comparison, an added value. “For the total inspection,” Mr. Staroverov said, “maybe it will be about $1,200. So there is a significant cost savings not only from a financial standpoint but also from blocking the highway and keeping drivers on the road longer.”

Senate Bill 389, An Act Concerning Traffic Mitigation, proposes that police and emergency responders will undergo new training to support traffic mitigation by the end of 2022. The bill goes on to state that “By October 2022, the Department of Transportation and Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection commissioners will need to develop plans to expand the use of drones for inspection of vehicle accidents and traffic accidents and for inspection of existing transportation facilities.” Sen. Haskell went on to say that using drones in such capacities is a step in the right direction, one that supports a greener, more efficient, 21st century agenda.