West Midlands to use AI to prevent road tragedies
Cutting-edge technology is being deployed to cut down on the number of people being killed or seriously injured on West Midlands roads.
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Transport for West Midlands is using VivaCity’s AI powered vision sensors on 40 locations across the region to record near misses and use to data collected to determine where safety measures are needed.
The near misses will include incidents such as vehicles passing within inches of pedestrians or cyclists.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and his newly appointed Road Safety Commissioner Mat MacDonald said the technology will help them be proactive in keeping people safe rather than waiting for collisions to take place.
One of the sensors has been deployed at Grange Road in Coventry, where several near misses were recorded, and measures will now be implemented.
Latest data shows while road deaths in the West Midlands have fallen by 12 per cent in the last two years, 43 per cent of fatalities were pedestrians.
The initiative is part of the Regional Road Safety Action Plan aimed at reaching the aim of achieving Vision Zero – no collisions on West Midlands roads by 2040.
Mat MacDonald, Road Safety Commissioner said: “What we’ve seen here is absolutely cutting edge technology and it is going to be absolutely critical for us to prevent collisions on our road network and prevent death and serious injury as a result.
“By giving us a greater sense of where the danger hot spots are, it will allow us to intervene early before tragedy strikes and before yet another family has to face the unimaginable trauma of losing a loved one suddenly and violently on the streets where they live.”
Mr Parker added: “Ai technology is being deployed with some sensors at some very high risk road junctions in the region.
“AI Technology is allowing us to understand the risk of near misses and collisions on our roads, and that is allowing us to intervene and improve road safety more proactively and not make those changes or investments only when collisions take place.
“There are 40 sensors across the region, the work we’ve seen in Coventry will allow us to make some interventions to improve road safety at that particular junction.
“This will include widening the pavements, extending the corner of a road junction and putting a pedestrian refuge, stopping place in the centre of the road so pedestrians can cross more safely.
“We’re using the data from an additional 39 sensors to help us understand the risks at those particular junctions and we will take action in those places if it’s required too.
“Those sensors will move around the region over the next 18 months.
“This technology is important, it’s great value and it’s going to improve road safety and I’ve made road safety – as have the seven council leaders and the Police and Crime Commissioner – a really big important priority.
“We’ve got a road safety action plan, I’ve employed the first road safety commissioner in the country so we can tackle the issues we have on our roads and reduce the level of collisions.”
