In a bid to enhance road safety on the accident-prone Bengaluru-Mysuru access-controlled Expressway, authorities are set to deploy 60 Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based security cameras, strategically positioned at an average interval of two kilometres along the 118-kilometre stretch. This initiative comes as a response to the prevalent issue of speeding and various traffic violations.

Initially, the plan was to install cameras at intervals of every 10 kilometres along the expressway, as shared by Additional Director General of Police (Traffic and Road Safety) Alok Kumar. However, the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India), which has jurisdiction over the highway, has stepped in to undertake the installation.

The forthcoming AI cameras will serve a multifaceted purpose, as outlined by Kumar. They will not only detect vehicles exceeding the prescribed speed limit but also identify restricted vehicles, including two-wheelers and three-wheelers, accessing the main carriageway. Additionally, these cameras will capture violations such as mobile phone usage while driving, failure to wear seat belts, and vehicles travelling in one-way directions, posing threats to other road users.

The real-time data collected by these cameras will be relayed to traffic management centres, where violations under the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 will be recorded, e-challans (electronic fines) will be generated, and vehicle owners will be required to pay fines.

NHAI data has revealed that nearly 75 per cent of accidents on this expressway involve vehicles, including cars and bikes, overspeeding, sometimes reaching speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour. The installation of AI cameras aims to curtail such reckless driving practices and improve road safety for all users.