Abu Dhabi to Install A.I. Road System to Check Drivers for Seat Belts, Phone Use

Aerial View of Abu Dhabi City
Getty Images
Ben Kew

Police in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), are planning to install a monitoring system built with artificial intelligence (A.I.) that will detect road users who do not wear their seatbelts or who illegally use their mobile phones while driving, the government announced Monday.

The Abu Dhabi Police unveiled the system in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority at the GITEX exhibition that began this weekend.

“At GITEX Technology Week 2020, Abu Dhabi Police and Abu Dhabi Digital announced a new AI-based system to detect seatbelt violations and cell phone usage among drivers,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a Twitter post. “This system, which will enable cameras to detect violations from next year, will help Abu Dhabi to increase security levels on its roads and enhance the safety of road users.”

In a statement via the government-run Emirates News Agency, authorities said the initiative was part of the “digital future” of the Abu Dhabi government.

“The ‘VAST’ (Vehicular Attention and Safety Tracker) system, aims to preserve the safety of drivers, passengers, and all road users, as well as raising awareness and educating the community on the importance of following safe driving practices, as part of efforts to lead the digital future of the Abu Dhabi Government and enable an innovative and effective digital government,” the agency explained.

The Emirati capital also unveiled a Russian-built robot this year capable of identifying police officers and wanted criminals. It is fluent in both Arabic and English and built with a database containing thousands of questions and answers.

“The robot negates so-called human error,” the robot’s creator, Oleg Kivokurtsev, told the Russian propaganda outlet Sputnik at the time. “It does not get tired; it is never rude to visitors, never late to work and most importantly, never makes mistakes.”

Follow Ben Kew on Parler, Facebook, or Twitter. You can email him at bkew@breitbart.com.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.