Prevention is better than cure

Every day, there are dozens of traffic accidents in Belgium, and most of these happen in a few unsafe “hotspots”. The Flemish government wants to make its roads safer, and they know that prevention is key.  

To come up with a solution, the Department of Mobility and Public Works (MOW) partnered with the experts at Vectr.Consulting. Together, they explored how AI-powered image recognition can help proactively identify unsafe traffic situations before they lead to accidents.

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From images to insights

Starting in March 2021, MOW launched several pilot projects across Flanders where they used fixed and drone cameras to capture footage of traffic flow. They particularly focused on busy intersections to detect potential problems, such as:

• Traffic light violations

• Inappropriate speeds

• Disregarded right-of-way rules

• Issues with the “crossability” or accessibility of public spaces

Over four months, thousands of images were collected and analysed, focusing on detecting pedestrians, cyclists, buses, cars, and their movements.  

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Identifying dangerous intersections

To make this analysis even more powerful, Vectr.Consulting developed a system that transforms pixel coordinates from the images into real-world geographical coordinates, allowing them to map the trajectories of different road users.  

This detailed analysis of traffic patterns helps MOW identify high-risk intersections and take steps to prevent accidents. By detecting near misses, for example, they can pinpoint locations where infrastructure improvements or targeted awareness campaigns might be needed.

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Working together for safer roads

The project has been transferred to the Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV), which will continue to use this technology to analyse high-risk locations across Flanders. The insights gained from this project will be crucial in helping AWV implement effective safety measures and make roads safer for everyone.

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