Malaysia is exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect road accidents more quickly and enhance emergency response times, potentially saving lives. A system called the Automatic Road Incident Detection System (ARIDS), developed by a team from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), is a being tested to spot accidents and traffic problems in real time.
Currently being tested on 1,000 km of expressways and roads, ARIDS has already shown it can reduce the time it takes to respond to accidents. The system uses AI and neural networks to detect accidents, and it’s already in use in Brunei and parts of Xi’an, China. The Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) is looking into whether it can be used nationwide.
One recent accident in Johor was detected by ARIDS 23 minutes before an official report was made, showing how quickly the system can respond. Right now, authorities depend on CCTV cameras and reports from users, which can delay the response.
ARIDS also works with a mobile app that sends alerts via WhatsApp, without needing a person to intervene. Besides accidents, it can detect traffic jams and vehicle breakdowns. The system could help improve road safety by giving insights into areas where changes, like stronger guardrails, are needed.
Experts believe that ARIDS could work well with existing systems like CCTV cameras and the Traffic Monitoring System (TMS) to improve road safety even more. However, there are still some challenges to adopting it fully. For example, concessionaires (private companies managing highways) can’t yet enforce safety checks on heavy vehicles without approval from the government. But combining ARIDS with other technologies, such as Weigh-In-Motion systems, could help ensure that vehicles are safe and reduce the risk of accidents caused by overloaded vehicles.
