Page 24 - Security Today, April 2019

Paving Safer Roads Leveraging new innovations to improve the quality of life
BIy Rich LeCates
n U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Places to Live” list, 30 per- cent of the ranking system is allocated toward quality of life, which includes factors such as commuter index and crime rates. Though traffic and crime are not the only contributing factors that determine a location’s desirability, they are some of the top
catalysts that inspire digital transformation within a city.
Why? Traffic and crime are more likely to affect citizens’ day-to- day lives than others. They also offer ample opportunities for lever- aging new innovations that improve quality of life, especially when a broad topic like crime management is broken down into specific in- cidents, such as active shooter, false alarms, the safety of emergency
response teams and seamless record sharing between agencies.
When taking a closer look at traffic and crime management, it becomes clear that a local government that utilizes a technology plat- form equipped with cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and data science can help maintain order, increase safety and eventually
lead to a safer, more desirable place to live.
Maintaining traffic order and streamlining commutes. Let’s start
with a pain point that everyone, especially those in larger cities, has experienced: the daily commute. How often do you find yourself sitting
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for what seems like an eternity at a red light? Or, arriving to work late because of overwhelming congestion on the road? Often, these “mi- nor” issues are overlooked for more serious matters, but it’s these little difficulties that can drastically affect a city’s perceived quality of life.
Luckily, some city officials have started installing automated, AI light management to better account for shifting traffic volumes. Of- ficers can review camera and radar data to gauge flow, volume and backup at priority intersections, and even adjust light systems for the time of day and varying seasons.
Automated traffic systems also reduce congestion through real- time notification. These same connected cameras and radar sen- sors feed traffic trends into a centralized database, which aggre- gates and transmits information to drivers’ phones and navigation devices. Drivers can then avoid crowded streets, reducing volume at slow-moving intersections.
Of course, while it is nice to know that there is an answer to frus- trating city commutes, traffic is not the most serious of issues that must be solved with a smart technology platform. Crime management is an ongoing concern and something that must always be evaluated in order to prevent tragedies, like mass shootings, from occurring.
SMARTER CITIES
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