Artificial intelligence will detect accidents in Malaysia in real time

The Roads Authority of Malaysia (LLM) is working on the full adoption of the Automated Road Incident Detection System (ARIDS), an AI-based solution to detect road accidents in real time, to reduce rescue response times on highways.

Road safety expert Assoc. Dr. Law Teik Hua said ARIDS, which is not currently used to its full potential, could make it easier for first responders to respond to accidents more quickly.

Law, who is head of the Road Safety Research Center at the Putra Malaysian Faculty of Engineering, said ARIDS, introduced in February, is in the pilot phase on a total of 1,000km of highways and federal roads in the Klang Valley and Kuching.

“However, Brunei and China’s provincial capital Xi’an have adopted the Malaysian-made system in a bid to make their roads safer.

“We presented to LLM the need for this to be fully adopted across Malaysia,” Law said.

When contacted, LLM managing director Datuk Sazali Harun confirmed that serious consideration was being given to its full implementation.

“The UPM team, led by Law, made the ARIDS presentation to LLM on November 15. The effectiveness of ARIDS will need further study by LLM before any decision can be made,” Sazali said.

Law, whose team developed ARIDS, said the fatal accident involving a container truck in Simpang Renggam, Johor, on November 15 was detected by ARIDS at 7.46am that day.

“However, checks showed that the first official report from the North-South Motorway (Plus) Traffic X channel stated that the incident occurred at 8.09am.

“If the accident had been detected earlier, rescue response time would have been cut shorter and survival rates would have been better.

“Most accidents on highways in Malaysia are responded to based on CCTV monitoring by the relevant highway concessionaire or reports from users or highway patrols,” Law said.

Currently, authorities in Xi’an are using this system on roads covering 200 traffic lights as part of a pilot study.

“Brunei has taken this and applied it to fully monitor traffic light intersections in its capital, as well as detect accidents and anomalies,” said Law, who is also a consultant at LLM, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Federal Traffic Investigation. and the Police Enforcement Division (JSPT).

Housed in Malaysia, ARIDS, a mobile traffic management system that allows remote access, can be accessed using a mobile phone and operates continuously using Google traffic data to provide accident notifications as well as analyze traffic congestion data, including analytics. whether traffic lights work or not.

“The system autonomously detects accidents, as well as vehicle malfunctions and other traffic situations in real time, using neural networks (a type of machine learning process inspired by the way humans learn),” Law said, adding that ARIDS users will be automatically notified. anomalies via WhatsApp without the need for any human input.

He said analysis of crashes on the system also showed a need for more robust guardrails on highways, which currently can only withstand the impact of small vehicle collisions.

In response, West Coast Expressway (WCE) CEO Lyndon Alfred Felix said that while crash prediction systems are constantly improving, WCE has already implemented technology-driven solutions such as Traffic Monitoring Systems (TMS) and CCTVs.

“These systems allow us to identify potential risks and patterns, such as erratic driving behavior or excessive speed. WCE also investigates advances in predictive technologies,” he said, adding that the scope of implementation often depends on coordination with the relevant authorities.

“The implementation of the Weighing in Motion (WIM) system will allow real-time monitoring of vehicle loads without the need for them to stop, allowing concessionaires to proactively address overloading-related issues,” Felix said.

Naturally, faster accident detection needs to be accompanied by stricter inspections of heavy vehicles, especially by concessionaires at the entry points of closed toll networks.

Law said existing laws do not allow concessionaires to do this, so enforcement authorities are relied upon.

Sazali agrees, saying concessionaires do not currently have the legal authority to prevent overloaded trucks or unsafe vehicles from entering their networks.

“All vehicles are permitted to use the highways or motorways except those restricted by restriction orders issued under the Road Transport Act 1987, which places WIM under the jurisdiction of the Department for Transport,” he said.

-with ANN