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Singapore – According to recent news by The Star Online, traffic police officers from the Fatal Accident Investigation Team (FAIT) of Singapore are recreating event of accident site using 3D mapping technology to solve and investigate traffic accident cases.
In the old days, they relied on witnesses, photographs, a tape measure, and their experience.
Now they also have Faro 3D Scanner (LiDAR instrument), which allows them to scan and map out a 3D image to reconstruct the site of a fatal accident. The team has been using the Faro scanner since late last year. A crime scene technician took photographs of the scene and used the Faro scanner to capture a 360- degree view of the accident site.
Police Inspector Jefferson Gerard Badmanathan, the officer-in- charge of FAIT, told ST that the pressure is on the investigating officer to process an accident scene quickly.
Insp Badmanathan, 36, said: “When we get out of the car, just by looking at the surroundings, we’re able to get a picture of how the accident actually happened. And we reconfirm it by getting the facts from the officers at the scene.”
While Faro has made the job easier, there is one task a machine cannot replace – conveying the bad news to the victim’s family.
Senior Staff Sgt Cheong, who joined the team in 2015, said he still finds it “emotionally challenging” to speak to the victims’ families. “We have to be sensitive. It’s the sudden demise of their loved ones and they might not be able to comprehend what we have just told them,” he said.
