Police forces given £2.7m to spend on 3D scanning technology

Department for Transport hopes technology will help to speed up crash site investigation

The government has awarded 27 police forces a £2.7m fund for 3D scanning technology to be used to examine motorway crash sites.

The Department for Transport (DfT) hopes that the technology will shorten motorway closures by capturing a 3D image of a crash site as oppose to investigators surveying several sections of the same scene.

The 3D image can then be viewed remotely on a computer screen to allow investigators to take measurements and examine other evidence.

The roll out of 3D laser scanning technology is part of a government initiative called Clear (collision, lead, evaluate, act, re-open), which is aimed at reducing delays caused by incidents in order to keep traffic moving.

Police forces and the National Policing Improvement Agency have also made an unspecified additional contribution to the fund, which will allow them to purchase 37 3D scanners.

Roads minister Mike Penning emphasised the importance of the technology: "The £2.7m DfT funding award will see 3D laser scanners rolled out quickly where they are needed most. This will benefit drivers by reducing incident clear-up times by 39 minutes on average."