As of 2022, there were 283.4 million vehicles registered in the United States of America. That same year, nearly 43,000 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents, of which approximately 5 million occur each year. Over the last few years, law enforcement agencies have begun using new technology, drones, to better understand the dynamics of these crashes. The drones may not prevent crashes, but they provide officers with data that can be used to better educate people on road safety and conduct necessary investigations.

In 2018, the Montana State Highway Patrol (MHP) first began using drones to investigate motor vehicle crashes. The program originated in the Billings and Great Falls districts, with Trooper Aaron Freivalds as one of the pioneer drone pilots. Having been fascinated with remote control technology since childhood, Trooper Freivalds was already an amateur drone pilot when the program began. Within the first year, the Billings district used drones to investigate 8 crash scenes. Today, every district within the MHP has at least one drone and several licensed pilots to operate them.

Before initiating the drone program, Trooper Freivalds explained that photographers used a camera attached to a 20-ft pole to capture aerial images of crashes. This method was time-consuming, inaccurate, and not always safe due to other vehicles still being on the road. With drones, an officer can get authorization to fly within 5 minutes and capture detailed images much more quickly, getting officers off the road sooner, allowing traffic to resume, and providing answers about the incident. “Now we have a 3D virtual environment where we can revisit the scene,” Trooper Freivalds said. “Where it really comes into play that we’ve noticed is in the tire marks. As the vehicles are sliding across the road, there is a lot of shadowing. That gives us a better idea of what the vehicle was doing even earlier.”

The department uses off-the-shelf DJI drones costing less than $3,000 each. Despite the cost, Trooper Freivalds emphasized that it pales in comparison to other technologies used by the MHP. Each pilot must obtain a Part 107, the Federal Aviation Administration’s regulatory drone license. Although fully trained and certified, Trooper Freivalds described flying the drones as nearly foolproof. “If you take your hands off the controls, it [the drone] will hold its position, said Troop Freivalds. “If strong winds come up, a traditional RC plane would get pushed along with the wind, whereas these drones automatically compensate for the wind.”

Trooper Philip Smart, an MHP Traffic Homicide Investigator and drone pilot, explained the process. “We show up with the drone, we take our pictures, and we get moving about our business, frequently before the vehicles are even removed,” he said. Before launching, Trooper Smart lays out 2ft X 2ft grids at the scene to plan the flight path. “So I take the pictures, and then I bring it back, get the data off of it and then go sit in my office and churn away on the computer knitting those photographs together to make a scaled diagram.” The entire on-site process takes 10-45 minutes, capturing between 100-500 images.

These images are uploaded to a program developed by Swiss drone photogrammetry company Pix4D. The program compiles the images to create an exact 3D digital model of the incident. Trooper Smart emphasized that this model is crucial in providing a jury with an accurate depiction of an accident. The drone-enabled 3D model can be key in understanding how and why accidents occur, offering closure to families of those affected, and keeping officers safe.

According to MHP data, there have been 79 motor vehicle accidents resulting in 82 fatalities in 2024 so far. Trooper Smart noted that the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as the 100 deadliest days of the year for motor vehicle accidents nationwide. With increased summer travel and reckless behavior, fatal accidents peak during this time. Trooper Smart urges people to practice safe driving habits such as wearing seat belts, driving alert, and always having a designated sober driver.

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