There’s no questioning the impact and value that AI systems are bringing to every facet of human life. Beyond writing marketing copy, there are now machine-learning platforms that are streamlining complex tasks, providing high levels of convenience and comfort, and, more importantly, securing human life.
One area that will benefit immensely from AI technology is road safety. Considering that road accident casualties remain a serious issue for governments to address, it’s high time for policymakers and law enforcers to employ AI technology to save lives and property. In this article, let’s look at the value that AI could bring in making roads safer for both motorists and pedestrians.
Before we delve into the merits of AI, let’s look at the current challenges in road safety that need to be addressed. Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, citing figures from the World Health Organization, puts global road accident casualties at 1.19 million people each year with traffic collisions being the number one cause of death among people ages five to 29. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, meanwhile, saw a 3.2% reduction in road accident fatalities in the United States this year compared to last year. Even so, the figure falls short of the Department of Transportation’s ambition to bring traffic fatalities down to zero.
As it stands, road accidents remain a major problem in countries that lose 3% of their gross domestic product to road crashes. The problem doesn’t stem from a lack of enforcement and driver education. In Georgia, for instance, an Atlanta wrongful death lawyer will tell you that road accidents comprise 40% of wrongful death claims.
Even with traffic laws and stringent licensing processes in place, accidents can still happen one way or the other, usually through mechanical failures or human error. AI platforms can address both these domains by enhancing existing safety measures and recommending preemptive approaches for ensuring driver and pedestrian safety.
Right now, tech companies are working to develop sophisticated tools for enhancing road safety and improving enforcement. While some have to be fully developed, a few are already being implemented with high degrees of success:
Traffic managers are often challenged by a lack of tools and approaches for gathering insights into traffic conditions and predicting patterns. Harnessing AI can streamline the process by monitoring vehicle volumes and deriving information on days and times when heavy traffic usually occurs.
This technology also allows traffic managers to determine safer alternative routes that motorists can take that cut their travel time at a minimal risk. Predictive analytics can also be useful in analyzing high-risk areas during severe weather. This allows for generating accurate forecasts, issuing road safety advisories earlier, and planning alternative routes.
Another important disruption in road safety is the introduction of advanced driver assistance systems or ADAS. Most modern consumer vehicle models are now equipped with the technology that comes with collision detection capabilities and sensors that initiate certain functions such as emergency braking and steering correction based on environmental data.
This type of technology provides immense benefits to elderly motorists and those who may have debilitating conditions. This allows them to operate a vehicle with confidence knowing that the AI system can respond quickly to certain scenarios.
Along with ADAS, modern cars are fitted with predictive maintenance tools that constantly monitor vehicle conditions. Such a system does more than check fluid levels and tire pressure. With the inclusion of generative AI, drivers can gain better insights into the performance of their vehicles based on past maintenance records as well as driver handling. This allows for a better analysis of the impact of wear and tear, leading to better repair and maintenance decisions that can help vehicle owners save money and increase the lifespans of their cars.
Unlike ADAS, autonomous driving systems place complete control on an AI system that navigates roads and highways with limited human involvement. However, as of now, fully automated vehicles are still being tested for safety and reliability.
Vehicles that run on high automation, on the other hand, are becoming more prevalent not only for their automated valet parking feature but also their ability to come to a full and safe stop in case of system or mechanical failures.
It’s impossible to talk about safety without talking about the need to secure AI-powered vehicles from hackers. Now that we’re living in a world driven by the Internet of Things, it wouldn’t be far-fetched for anyone to steal sensitive information and gain access to a fully automated vehicle. With this in mind, today’s cars should also come with cybersecurity features such as encryption and identity authentication to prevent costly breaches that may affect vehicle performance and stability.
Using AI to enhance road safety is the destination we’re gunning for and it has been a source of excitement to see smarter features enter the market. Regulation, however, remains a contested territory as governments will need to decide on implementing these innovations safely and ethically.
There’s also the question of where liability rests if AI systems fail and cause injury, property damage, or even death. Regulatory frameworks are being crafted to govern the use of AI across different industries, so it wouldn’t take long before the automotive sector begins to implement its own set of rules in line with legal and technical standards.
Road safety is an exciting area for AI development. With the technology that exists right now, we can only expect better and more sophisticated features and functionalities to come out into the open.