Drone network speeds accident response on Guangdong expressways

On Feb 2, a drone took off after receiving a command from the Shatian drone airport in Dongguan, Guangdong province, in response to a nearby traffic accident.

The drone arrived at the scene in just one minute and 40 seconds. It transmitted high-definition images of the scene and the safety status of the drivers and passengers back to the monitoring center in nearly real-time.

The drone operator then used the onboard loudspeaker to direct the involved vehicles to quickly move to the road shoulder for safety.

Thanks to the swift response, traffic on Nansha Bridge quickly returned to normal. It was a routine practice for ensuring smooth traffic flow during this year's Spring Festival travel rush.

Since the establishment of the first drone airport in 2023, a network of 12 fixed drone airports and one mobile drone airport has formed along the bridge. A drone operation team has also been assembled, forming the first drone squadron in the province's expressway sector.

The number of drone operators has increased to 27, enabling automatic takeoff upon receiving an alert and reaching an accident scene in an average of between two and a half and three minutes.

The drone task force has become a front-line elite unit for ensuring smooth traffic on expressways across the province, according to Guangdong provincial transportation authorities.