Recently, TFL announced that it has awarded PDS Infrastructure Systems to integrate smart cameras into areas of concern to reduce traffic violations and accidents. What challenges do road systems commonly face, how will TFL combat against such challenges, and what else can be done?

What challenges do road systems commonly face?

Besides the occasional fallen tree and pothole, road traffic incidents are often caused by the human condition, or simply put, the inability of humans to follow the rules. From the lack of indicators to not checking blind spots, many drivers frequently violate one traffic rule or another, which can increase the change of incident.

You may notice that the term “incident” is used instead of “accident”. It turns out that the film Hot Fuzz was correct when it was stated by a police officer that such occurrences are called road traffic incidences instead of road traffic accidents as the word accident implies no one is at fault.

But it is not just the lack of indicators or refusal to get a vehicle checked out that can lead to accidents; improper use of the road is also likely to cause accidents. For example, some drivers believe that they can sit in a box junction simply because they want to get to their destination faster. Blocking a box junction does not contribute to an increased chance of a collision as cars are generally slow-moving at this point. Still, the buildup of traffic can impact the ability of emergency services to attend to incidents.

Another example of poor driving is those who use the hard shoulder to try and get around traffic. Such lanes are only to be used by those who need to stop due to a vehicle malfunction, and someone driving at high speed on the hard shoulder can cause a severe incident.

Transport for London announces smart camera plan

Trying to catch bad drivers is challenging, and simply installing more cameras is not the solution. More cameras equal more traffic officers to view content, log violator details, and then send penalties to the vehicle owners.

To overcome these challenges, Transport for London has recently announced that it will be deploying smart cameras in critical areas that will automatically detect violators and then issue fines without the need for human intervention. To help make the project a reality, TFL is teaming up with PDP Infrastructure Systems to develop the new cameras and supporting software.

According to TFL, the camera system will integrate multiple cameras using different technologies to detect different types of violations, including lane crossing, blocking box junctions, and driving in bus lanes. One of the significant incentives to introduce the project comes after the latest statistic states over 4000 people are killed on London roads. Furthermore, 76% of collisions occur at busy junctions, which the new system will target.

Some may believe that using cameras to detect violators is a method for the local council to increase revenue, but all revenue obtained via fines is being reinvested back into the scheme. The use of penalties for even minor violations is also shown to improve driver awareness and behaviour, which will further help to improve the safety of London roads.

What else can be done?

In a world where there are almost as many cars as people, it would be near impossible to watch all cars for violations. The use of AI and automated systems could help to catch offenders and issue fines as needed. However, some may feel that the use of cameras is a violation of personal freedom and privacy, and abuse of infrastructure is something that almost all governments worldwide have been guilty of. For example, it didn’t take long for Singapore to start snooping on people’s devices who had installed COVID social distancing apps to find criminals.

The only realistic alternative to cameras is to use police officers on the ground who are stationed at vulnerable junctions. However, doing so can potentially divert much-needed police resources away from crime prevention and casework. Some alternative electronic sensors could help with monitoring junctions, such as proximity sensors tied into a traffic network. These sensors would detect specific cars and determine their violations based on the sensors position and state of traffic lights. However, this setup would be arguably more complex to install than pole-mounted security cameras.