DES MOINES &#8212 New digital equipment will allow state troopers to better reconstruct traffic accident scenes.

The Iowa State Patrol has purchased 16 Leica Total Stations at a cost of about $140,000, according to Public Safety Commissioner Eugene Meyer.

The equipment, which rests on a tripod, can measure an entire collision scene including roadway details, skid marks, terrain and damage to vehicles.

Officials said it’s faster and safer than past methods.

They said the equipment also lets investigators transfer data to a computer for further analysis and animated reconstructions of what occurred.

“This is a lot better. It’s more accurate,” said Trooper Aaron Nordyke of Clarinda. He was among about 20 troopers who got training on the equipment last week at Camp Dodge in Johnston.

Sgt. Randy Bulver, who supervises crash investigations, said troopers statewide Iowa conduct about 160 to 170 major investigations of vehicle crashes each year.

He said those investigations usually involve fatalities. The new equipment won’t be used for routine fender benders, Bulver said.