Roads Minister Mike Penning recently announced that drivers across England are to benefit from shorter motorway closures after crashes thanks to the roll-out of 3D laser scanning technology funded by the government and police (see The Mover, August 2011, Page 34).

The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded 27 police forces across England a total of £2.7 million. The funding, together with police and the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) contributions, will enable them to purchase 37 scanners.

The technology saves time by quickly making a 3D image of the whole crash site, rather than investigators painstakingly surveying multiple sections of a scene. This digital image of the site can then be viewed on a computer screen remotely allowing investigators to take measurements of where vehicles are in relation to each other and examine other important evidence.

Mike Penning said: "There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck in a traffic jam for hours on end. But even worse than that is the shocking £1 billion cost of those lost hours for our economy. That is why we are determined to improve the clear-up of accidents so we can get our motorways re-opened as quickly as possible.”

In 2010 there were more than 18,000 full or partial motorway closures lasting a total of more than 20,000 hours.   A government strategy to tackle congestion caused by motorway closures and drive down the £1 billion annual cost to the economy was published by the Minister. 

Assistant Chief Constable Sean White, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), said: "On behalf of the police service we welcome enormously this important funding opportunity that has been made possible by government through the Department for Transport. Police forces acquiring this equipment will be in a better position to manage such critical events in a more efficient way and present the most accurate and detailed evidence from the laser scanning devices to criminal, civil and coroners' courts."

Chief Constable Nick Gargan, the Chief Executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), said: "The 3D laser scanning project is innovative and will enable motorways to be opened more quickly after incidents, passing a direct benefit to the public. The National Policing Improvement Agency is pleased to support the project, which also brings significant improvements in supporting better outcomes in policing and increased efficiency in officer time."

Successful bidders were due to start receiving their grants in January 2012 to enable them to put the technology to use quickly on motorways and major A roads, benefiting road users across the country.