AI devices help road users obey traffic rules

Artificial intelligence-powered devices are being deployed in various regions to remind passengers and non-motor vehicle riders to obey traffic rules.

In areas with no or limited traffic police, AI-enabled devices and loudspeakers are used to alert people when they violate rules. For example, in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, an AI traffic monitoring system has been in operation at one road section for over a month, effectively reducing the number of traffic accidents, according to Jiangsu Satellite TV.

Liu Xiaowu, deputy dean of the Wuxi Research Institute at Tianjin University, explained that the device integrates AI and the internet of things. It uses surveillance video data and AI algorithms to identify misbehavior by pedestrians and non-motor vehicle riders in real-time, with a response time of just one second.

The system collects surveillance video data from four directions to conduct real-time traffic analysis at 32 positions. If dangerous behavior is detected, loudspeakers immediately issue alerts.

According to local traffic police, the device has significantly curbed such behaviors and operates continuously around the clock. Plans are underway to install the system at additional locations, covering 20 key road sections in Wuxi.

Meanwhile, in Shifang, Sichuan province, 25 AI surveillance cameras have been installed in a local village to remind non-motor vehicle riders to follow traffic rules. When violations such as not wearing helmets, traveling on the wrong side of the road, or overloading are detected, the system delivers reminders in the local dialect. Many riders have corrected their behavior upon hearing the voice alerts.

In Luzhou, Sichuan province, AI-powered road safety systems have been deployed across 33,000 kilometers of rural roads in over 1,140 villages, according to cpd.com.cn, a news portal of the Ministry of Public Security. These digital reminders have been in place since 2022 and have formed a safety net for rural areas.

Xiang Yang, a traffic police officer in Luzhou, noted that non-motor vehicles have become a primary mode of transportation in rural areas. The system provides continuous reminders, and if a person receives three warnings, traffic police visit them for education and accountability.

As of May, the system had issued reminders to 810,000 rural residents, holding over 1,000 repeat violators accountable. Non-motor vehicle violations have significantly decreased as a result.

In Mianyang, Sichuan province, robots are being utilized as traffic police. These robots can travel at a speed of 5 kilometers per hour and jump up to 20 centimeters. They have been deployed at road sections to guide traffic and remind pedestrians not to cross during red lights.