NHAI to roll out AI-powered dash cams to monitor road maintenance, safety

New Delhi: To enhance road maintenance and improve safety, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to deploy AI-based dashcam systems across approximately 40,000 km of the national highway network.

Under this initiative—known as Dashcam Analytics Services (DAS)—specialised high-resolution dashboard cameras will be installed on Route Patrol Vehicles (RPVs). These vehicles will conduct weekly surveys of highway stretches, an NHAI official said.

Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) models, trained for this purpose, will automatically detect over 30 types of defects and anomalies on highways.

The primary focus will be on pavement condition, including potholes, cracks, rutting, and surface deterioration, along with issues such as faded lane markings, damaged crash barriers, and non-functional streetlights.

"The system will also identify other safety concerns, including illegal median openings, unauthorised signboards, encroachments, and illegal parking."This initiative leverages AI/ML to promote high-tech, data-driven Operations & Maintenance (O&M) for national highways and expressways across the country," NHAI said in a statement.

To boost road safety, surveys will be conducted at least once a week, with night time inspections conducted at least once a month to assess the performance of road signages, pavement markings, road studs, and highway lighting.

The initiative will also cover critical issues such as water stagnation, missing drainage covers, vegetation growth, and the condition of bus bays, the statement added.

For effective monitoring, the NHAI has divided the country into five zones. A dedicated IT platform will be developed, featuring modules for data management, AI analytics, and interactive visualisation dashboards.

"The solution enables side-by-side comparisons of road conditions over time, allowing NHAI to track maintenance progress accurately and execute repairs efficiently. AI-generated results will integrate with the central NHAI Data Lake platform for seamless monitoring and timely defect rectification," the statement concluded.