Israel to use AI to improve traffic safety

Tel Aviv [Israel], January 19 (ANI/TPS): Israel’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety launched two new initiatives it says will “harness” the power of artificial intelligence – AI – for the fight against traffic accidents and traffic jams.

One initiative, it says, will work to improve road safety and the other is intended to find the most effective solutions to traffic congestion.

About 10 million shekels (USD 2.7 million) were allocated for development in the first phase.

In the first project, the ministry is developing an AI tool that collects information from all possible sources regarding traffic accidents and road safety risks. Among other things, unreported data is collected such that about minor accidents without injuries and even “near miss” events such as emergency braking that are registered in the vehicle systems and traffic cameras.

Statistical data from the Israel Police, insurance companies, hospitals, traffic cameras and more will be fed into the system. Along with these, weather data, traffic loads, road conditions, road condition and maintenance, safety improvements made in the past and the extent of their impact on the level of safety, and any other relevant data will be recorded.

In the second project of the Ministry of Transportation, a similar methodology will be used to locate weak points where traffic congestion is created, to analyze the causes of this, and to propose possible solutions.

This project will also make use of countless data that will be collected from all the existing systems, including traffic management and load monitoring systems of the infrastructure companies, dedicated applications, traffic reports in the media, satellite photos and more. At the same time, the weather conditions, the road conditions and the condition of the roads will be checked.