AI can help make our roads safer

We have a full-blown road safety emergency in India. In 2023, nearly 1.73 lakh lives were lost in road accidents. That’s 474 people a day, or roughly one in every three minutes. Total accidents crossed 4.8 lakh last year, 4.2% more than in 2023. Two-wheeler riders, especially those without helmets, made up around 44% of the victims, while pedestrians accounted for nearly one-fifth. And the biggest killer was speed. Overspeeding led to over two-thirds of all fatalities. It is a wake-up call. Emerging technologies can help arrest this trend.