Summary
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being leveraged in road safety, road operations, including traffic management and incident management, and infrastructure inspection or monitoring. Case studies demonstrate significant life-saving benefits, efficiency gains and cost savings when AI is deployed effectively.
This PIARC Special Project explored opportunities for AI adoption across all stages of the road asset lifecycle, from planning and design to maintenance and operations. With a vision extending to 2030, it identified how AI can transform the management and operation of road infrastructure.
Our approach involved undertaking an extensive literature review and engaging with 70 stakeholders, across 128 PIARC member countries, through detailed surveys and in-depth interviews. This provided a detailed evidence base from which actionable insights for low, middle and high-income countries could be derived.
Our findings position PIARC and its members as potential leaders of a global transition toward smarter, safer, and more efficient road networks, ensuring that in addition to supporting sustainable infrastructure management into the next decade, AI adoption benefits all regions.
Solution
Building on insights from our literature review and substantial stakeholder engagement, we delivered a comprehensive framework for AI integration in the road sector. The framework provides strategic guidance for infrastructure owners and managers, with a focus on governance principles, capacity-building strategies, and digital readiness measures to enable effective adoption of AI across global networks.
95%
Percentage of incidents detected within five minutes using data fusion technologies40+%
Reduction in accidents in buses equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems43%
Reduction in seatbelt infringements after the introduction of computer vision
Barriers to AI implementation
- Resistance to change
- Technical skills shortages in the workforce
- Financial constraints in low and middle-income countries
- Uncertainty around legislation, data protection and cybersecurity
Recommendations
- Establish clear governance frameworks
- Invest in workforce training
- Strengthen data infrastructure
- Foster international collaboration
- Maintain an inclusive approach, with equitable access for rural and underdeveloped areas
Services provided:
- Research
- Artificial Intelligence
- Digitalisation
- Literature review
- Interviews and workshops
