The Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) announced that it is stepping up efforts to create a safer public bus operating environment by using artificial intelligence (AI) video analysis technology to warn city bus drivers against risky driving behaviors.

According to TS, analysis of risk behavior indicators from city bus drivers who participated in the “AI-Based City Bus Safety Monitoring Pilot Project” showed a 36.86 percent reduction in accidents. Risky driving behaviors included drowsy driving, failure to maintain safe distance, central line encroachment, pedestrian collision risks, and use of mobile phones and smoking. Specifically, analysis of actual driving records indicated that forward-facing risky behaviors among drivers were significantly reduced: signal violations dropped by 66.1 percent, illegal U-turns by 67.0 percent, and central line encroachment by 30.7 percent. Internal risky behaviors also showed improvement, with drowsy driving reduced by 84.3 percent, smoking by 37.2 percent, and mobile phone use by 14.5 percent. In addition, among city buses equipped with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), pedestrian collision alerts fell by 25.7 percent and safe distance alerts by 26.5 percent.

The pilot project is designed to use AI video analysis to monitor risky driver behaviors in real time and provide immediate audible alerts. City buses participating in the project were fitted with AI cameras inside and outside the vehicle, along with analysis equipment that allowed operators to check driver behaviors in real time. Monitoring centers and supervisors could verify risky driving behavior remotely, with alerts sent directly to drivers when violations occurred. Data was also uploaded to safety management platforms for post-drive analysis and retraining, covering incidents such as speeding, sudden acceleration and braking, and near-miss accidents.

Moving forward, TS plans to expand this monitoring solution beyond city buses to chartered buses and other sectors, working closely with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, local governments, and bus operators.
To this end, TS has signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the Korea Bus Transport Business Association (Mar. 15), AIMATICS (Mar. 28), and LG Electronics (Aug. 22). In particular, TS is collaborating with LG Electronics commuter buses (15 vehicles) to pilot the solution and test its effectiveness in reducing traffic accidents.

TS Chairman Jeong Yong-sik stated, “Through this project, city bus drivers are able to self-correct risky behaviors, improving their driving habits. Going forward, we will do our best to leverage advanced technologies such as AI to ensure safe and reliable public transportation for all citizens.”

Source: JoongAng Ilbo – Korea Transportation Safety Authority Joint Planning
 Reporter: Ji-ho Park, JoongAng Ilbo M&B