The AI for Road Safety Global initiative, in line with the UN General Assembly Resolution (UN A/RES/74/299) on improving global Road Safety and the UN Secretary General's roadmap on digital cooperation, provides an avenue for the global dialogue on the role of innovative automotive systems and digital technologies in reducing risks associated with on-road transport to reduce accidents, improving road user compliance and facilitating collision prevention.
AI for Road Safety >
Background
Global Ministerial
Conference on Road SafetyThe 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety (Stockholm Declaration, February 2020) emphasizes the importance of implementing ideas and knowledge to improve road safety. The conference resulted in the Stockholm Declaration, which connects road safety to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. The declaration calls for strong political commitment, regional and national strategies, and road safety action plans at all levels to achieve global goals by 2030.
UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on improving global road Safety (UNGA Resolution UN A/RES/74/299, August 2020). The resolution requests the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration and other stakeholders, to prepare a plan of action of the Second Decade as a guiding document to support the implementation of its objectives.
ITU-T events
In 2021, aiming to halve deaths and injuries due to road crashes by 2030, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, and the
UN Envoy on Technology launched a new initiative entitled, “AI for Road Safety". This 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. This endeavor focussed on inclusive solutions that work in low- and middle-income countries where most road fatalities occur.
AI capabilities are turning data on vehicles, road conditions, and other data sources into actionable insights for enhancing road safety. AI, along with other emerging technologies are also contributing to the development of assisted driving functions and autonomous vehicles.
The
Global Standards Symposium-20, held in Geneva, Switzerland on 28 February 2022, hosted a special session on Artificial Intelligence for Road Safety. This session delved into how AI can be harnessed to ensure road safety, while preparing the scene for the adoption of international standards and regulatory frameworks on smart and safe mobility.
According to the survey by World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. More than half of all road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years. To improve global road safety, the UN General Assembly proclaims a call for “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030", with the target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. In response to this pressing goal, ITU actively advocates for the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance road safety and promotes “AI for road safety" initiative at all levels. ITU encourages all the member states, industries, individuals, and stakeholders to collaborate in developing and implementing innovative solutions to enhance road safety. 