John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorFebruary 28, 20255 Min ReadAleks Fassnidge via Alamy Stock PhotoThe quest for safe, accident-free roads has existed for more than a century with mixed success at best. Now, according to many automotive experts, AI is poised to become the 21st century's most important road safety technology.The need for safer roads has never been more crucial. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.9 million people die annually as a result of road traffic crashes. Additionally, more than half of all road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.Help on WheelsAI's potential lies in its ability to sift through vast amounts of data -- numeric, text, and images -- to identify patterns that enhance the capabilities of todays active safety and intelligent transportation systems, says Bryan Reimer, founder and co-director of the MIT Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium. In an email interview, he explains that AI can unlock and deliver insights that can't be obtained through traditional statistical methods.By analyzing data from vehicle sensors, cameras, and historical traffic patterns, AI can proactively alert drivers to potential hazards, such as sudden stops, adverse weather, and other risky conditions, says Peter Mitchell, general manager at Verizon Connect vehicle tracking system. In an online interview, he notes that AI-powered analytics can identify risky behaviors, such as harsh braking or rapid acceleration, before they lead to incidents. "With predictive insights and real-time data, AI empowers drivers and fleet operators alike, enabling proactive, safety-focused decisions across the fleet," Mitchell states.Related:AI has the ability to detect driving events and risks in real time, such as red lights and pedestrians, as well driver-related issues, including distractive behavior or a sudden medical emergency, says Stefan Heck, CEO of Nauto, a firm that uses predictive AI technology to help prevent commercial fleet accidents. In an online interview, he states that AI can alert a driver to an impending collision, to get off the phone, or to take direct action, such as by automatically applying the brakes or automatically pulling the vehicle to the side of the road.Accelerating CapabilitiesRapidly advancing AI technology is accelerating road detection capabilities, speeding the processing of ever-larger amounts of data at higher reliability rates. "Synthesized data is then fed into AI-based decision systems that outperform systems that were state of the art just a few years ago," Reimer says.Related:Heck notes that current AI technology can actually prevent collisions and injuries. "AI can look at risks emerging three to five seconds in the future and intervene, either via a driver warning or direct active safety systems such as braking, to avoid the collisions."In the Driver's SeatAI is already used throughout the automotive and transportation ecosystem. "It's use cases include basic vehicle sensing, intelligent traffic control systems, and vehicle control systems," Reimer says. "The impact of these systems ranges from improving route planning via mapping applications to supporting highly automated driving."AI-powered safety technologies are especially valuable in high-traffic, high-risk areas, such as cities, construction zones, and logistics hubs, Mitchell says. He notes that next-generation dashcams, leveraging advanced AI and edge computing, will continuously analyze live video, detect risky driving patterns, and provide real-time hazard notifications. "This technology is particularly beneficial in industries that rely heavily on fleets, such as transportation, shipping, and logistics, where it can boost driver safety and efficiency," Mitchell observes. "We're seeing widespread adoption among commercial fleets, public transit systems, and rideshare platforms, where deep learning models, developed with millions of data points and partnerships with leading universities, enable precise object detection and real-time feedback to enhance road safety."Related:Heck notes that AI-powered safety technologies are already appearing in many high-end vehicles and will soon spread to mainstream models. "Europe is now mandating safety systems, many of which are powered by AI, including pedestrian collision warning and detecting driver distraction."Saving LivesThe U.S. Federal Highway Administration reports that each year over 6,000 pedestrian and 850 bicyclist deaths are caused by roadway crashes. "AI is already being used to help reduce the number of traffic-related fatalities and injuries through technologies like pedestrian automated emergency braking and smart signaling," Reimer says. He adds that AI often works behind the scenes, hidden from the consumer's view, providing the delivery of transportation solutions designed to improve safety, sustainability, cost-efficiency, convenience, and comfort.Heck observes that many people believe there will be an exact "moment" when AI suddenly arrives in the form of fully autonomous vehicles. He disagrees. "Instead, we're likely to see gradually increasing use of AI in vehicles for safety," Heck says. "Similar to how AI is gradually appearing in phones, first as fingerprint readers, then face detection, language assistance, and photo editing, we will see a gradual transformation of vehicle AI over the next decade or two."About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like