By: Arindam Das Sarkar, Managing Director, Mirasys
India has a road network of about 63.73 lakh kilometres, making it the second largest in the world. The national highways spanning over 1,44,600 km cover the length and breadth of the country, and thus often pass through scarcely populated areas, making it difficult for help to reach quickly in case of an accident or emergency. Surveillance through AI-integrated systems can help to overcome these problems as video analytics solutions can play a pivotal role in supporting the government’s proactive initiative to integrate advanced AI systems for highway safety.
Traffic monitoring and management on highways can be made easier with the help of video surveillance and analytics, for they enable astute monitoring and management of traffic flow. AI algorithms can analyse live camera feeds to detect congestion, accidents, or any unusual events, allowing authorities to take immediate action. Furthermore, advanced video analytics can identify anomalies on the highway, such as erratic driving behavior, wrong-way drivers, or pedestrians on the road. This early detection enables quick response to potential safety hazards. This will enable faster ‘Incident Detection’ and a quicker ‘Response’ to send the aid that is needed. As video analytics can automatically detect accidents or other incidents, this information can be relayed in real-time to emergency services, enabling faster response times and potentially reducing the severity of incidents.
Another problem faced on a highway is high-speed driving, and the latest video analytics offer ‘Speed Violation Monitoring’ too. AI-based video analytics can monitor vehicle speeds and identify instances of speeding. Automated alerts can be generated for law enforcement to take appropriate action, promoting adherence to speed limits. This will ultimately lead to improved ‘Surveillance and Security’. Video analytics enhances surveillance capabilities and this helps to deter criminal activities on highways. Automated alerts can be sounded for suspicious behavior or unauthorised access and can contribute to overall security on the highway, leading to a curb in crime ratio too.
The latest License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology is another boon for enhancing highway security. LPR technology, coupled with video analytics, can help in identifying and tracking vehicles as per make and model and can be tracked. This is valuable for law enforcement in managing traffic violations, tracking stolen vehicles, and enhancing overall security. Predictive maintenance is another key area where video analytics can be used for monitoring the condition of road infrastructure, such as signs, signals, and road surfaces. Predictive maintenance can help address issues before they become critical, ensuring the continuous safety of the highway. Thus, it helps in ensuring that the much-needed signages on highways are always in proper condition, thereby avoiding confusion by drivers and accidents in worse cases.
When video analytics solutions are integrated into broader smart city initiatives, connecting with other systems for efficient traffic management, emergency response, and data-driven decision-making becomes the next possible step. The data thus collected through video analytics can provide valuable insights for policymakers. This data is highly encrypted as the latest AI solutions are capable of encrypting camera streams and process data in secure formats, thereby making sure that only the designated authorities and individuals get access to the same. Such high end-to-end encryption ensures data privacy and security, thus resolving the biggest threat pertaining to video analytics. Moreover, Analyzing traffic patterns, identifying high-risk zones, and understanding user behavior can inform the development of effective safety policies. The video analytics data can be used to identify trends and patterns in road safety issues. This information can be leveraged to create targeted public awareness campaigns, educating drivers about safe practices and potential risks. By leveraging video analytics solutions, the Indian government can enhance its highway safety efforts, making roads safer for commuters and improving overall transportation infrastructure. Safer highways for the public are possible with the help of advanced video analytics solutions, and it will ultimately generate revenue for the government.