Concept of operations and policy implications for unmanned aircraft systems use for traffic incident management (UAS-TIM) : final report.

1634802PDFTech ReportPRC 15-69FDrone aircraftIncident managementIntelligent transportation systemsPolicyState departments of transportationState of the practiceSystem architectureTraffic incidentsTransportation planningValidationUnited StatesTexasTexas A&M Transportation InstituteStevens Jr., Charles R.Texas A&M Transportation InstituteUS Transportation CollectionTexas freeways experience considerable traffic congestion\u2014some from high traffic volumes and some from traffic incidents, both minor (e.g., crashes, stalls, and road debris) and major (e.g., vehicle rollovers, chemical spills, flooding, and hurricane evacuations). Incidents can literally bring freeways systems to a standstill, which results in significant economic impact for Texas drivers and businesses. Quick response and clearance of traffic incidents through traffic incident management (TIM) practices are proven methods of restoring roadway capacity and increasing mobility on urban freeways. Transportation agencies and emergency responders are continually seeking new technologies and systems (especially for major incidents) that can improve incident response, monitoring, and clearance. One such system/technology under consideration is unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Commonly referred to as drones in military applications, public and civil UAS could prove to be a flexible and useful tool for transportation agencies and emergency responders