Artificial intelligence can help halve road deaths by 2030
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt, and the Office of the UN Envoy on Technology kicked off a new initiative dubbed Artificial Intelligence for Road Safety initiative with a special focus on inclusive solutions for low- and middle-income countries where most road fatalities occur. To this aim, the initiative promotes an AI-enhanced ‘safe system’ approach to reduce fatalities based on six pillars: road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, post-crash response, and speed control. ‘The disproportionate number of road deaths in developing countries is yet another example of why the benefits of new technologies must reach everyone, everywhere,’ highlighted ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. The initiative covers a number of activities including series of webinars, challenges/competitions on AI for Road Safety, AI for Road Safety readiness landscape, and ITU Focus Group on AI for Autonomous and Assisted Driving.