Experts use AI tools to find key environmental factors impacting car accidents

Experts have used artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as Google Street View (GSV) that offer 360-degree views of streets, to determine key environmental elements impacting car-related collisions, and cyclist & pedestrian-related accidents.

In the study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) of Injury Prevention, experts used GSV to find the link between car accidents and the built environment in locations where crashes occur.

Using virtual mapping, experts examined specific road features — streetlights or greenery.

According to Dr Quynh Nguyen, an epidemiologist and statistician at the US-based University of Maryland, car crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5 to 29 years old, so it’s important to understand how the physical environment can improve or reduce fatal collisions.

Nguyen and her team discovered that sidewalks had the most significant impact on reducing crashes. Areas with more sidewalks experienced 70 per cent fewer traffic accidents, and places with single-lane roads, which are often found in rural areas, had 50 per cent fewer accidents.

For pedestrians and cyclists, street lights and stop signs provided more safety, as they were associated with fewer car accidents involving either group. Conversely, areas with road construction had a negative impact, leading to more collisions.

Xiaohe Yue, a data analyst at the University of Maryland, said that many of the public health issues that communities face are often solvable.

According to her, emerging technologies and access to vast data sources have helped find solutions to some of the public health issues that plague populations.