The Role Of AI In Bucking America’s Road Safety Problem
Auto, Aviation & Transportation / Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
As development increases and time wears on, most countries experience improved road safety. Most countries, that is, with the exception of America. As Bloomberg notes, America has seen decreasing rates of road safety, and double the amount of road fatalities every year, when compared to historically ‘unsafe’ countries such as Spain and Italy. With the advent of smart planning and AI, there is a huge opportunity for the USA to finally buck this trend and do a little better – starting with the simple matter of data collection.
Attributing liability
One of the most pressing reasons as to why drivers speed or drive aggressively is a sense of anonymity, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The combination of insurance and the complex system of attributing liability means that many drivers feel safe from penalty. Many legal professionals will seek to build up a complex set of data and information points; a semi truck accident lawyer may seek to investigate vehicle quality, load weight, and conditions, for instance. With the advent of AI and black boxes driving down insurance premiums, there is the opportunity for automated driving data to be collected, which drivers will be all too aware of the impact of.
Big Brother
Another key element of supervision comes through the development of new AI behavior identification tools. A review of these in the Washington Post highlighted one platform that, using high resolution cameras embedded in surfaces, can automatically detect and report on poor behavior behind the wheel, such as phone use or drinking while at high speed. Collection and reporting of these factors can be another deterrent.
Improving the now
Of course, AI already plays a role in driving, as profiled by HackerNoon. Automated braking systems, common in many vehicles, is one example, and is becoming more sophisticated with 360 degree vision. Data systems can help drivers to deduce exactly when to accelerate or brake. Driver alert systems, pioneered by Volkswagen, can provide notable alerts when a car is deviating from normal activity, for instance when hands leave the steering wheel or the car leaves the highway lane.
Together with smart highways and the use of big data to triage and tackle problem areas, these innovations are bringing about change for American roads. As the country continues to deal with the impact of dangerous driving, this can only be a good thing.
