The police have come up with a way to better look into road accidents, quite literally.

Technology now allows the police to extract information stored in vehicles and gather evidence on the events leading up to the accident.

The extracted data could then be used to recreate 3D simulation which will help police better visualise an accident scene.

The initiatives were shared at a Police Workplan Seminar on May 24, 2024, alongside other projects rolled out by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to combat crime with technology.

Collecting evidence from vehicle

A car's electronic system can be connected to external devices.

This means that vehicle forensic examiners can extract information such as GPS data, media playback, Bluetooth connectivity, and more.

The use of data from a vehicle's infotainment system aided investigations into a case of speeding in 2022, in which the offender was convicted, said the police.

During the event, a "mock-up vehicle" was set up to demonstrate how the police can collect such data.

Participants could try "driving" a couple of laps around a race track, after which their braking, acceleration, and gear shift patterns were recorded and analysed.

From the driver's POV

While these datasets might be difficult to make sense of in numerical form, they can be used to create a 3D simulation which will help police better visualise the accident scene.

This will allow them to better identify potential traffic offences.

A demonstrative clip shown on screen illustrated how police are able to view a person's driving behaviour in real time.

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Top image by Julia Yee