Busan to test-run AI-powered traffic cameras

A traffic camera that can take picturs of rear end of vehicles including motorcycles installed at a road near an elementary school in Goyang, Gyeonggi, in November. [NEWS1]

Motorcycles zooming by on pedestrian walkways at crossroads have become uncommon, especially since the popularity of food delivery apps and parcel delivery have surged.

Some ignore traffic lights, and some boldly cross over the centerline and then reenter the lane.

Busan police are cracking down on those reckless riders who pose safety risks with traffic cameras that now capture images on the rear end of their vehicles.

The traffic cameras, which Inpeg Vision developed, incorporated AI machine learning to identify the license plates on the rear of vehicles that violate traffic regulations, including motorcycles.

Inpeg Vision says its cameras can analyze the number on the license plate even when a vehicle travels at 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour).

Two of the company's cameras have been installed in both directions of the road between Busan's Daeyeon-dong and Gwangalli areas.

The police said the residents in the area often suffer from reckless motorcyclists' traffic violations, especially since the area houses Pukyong National University and has a high student population, meaning ordering delivery food is common in the area.

The cameras will be tested for three months but won't be used to penalize infractions. The police will only notify the drivers of their violations.

An additional 10 cameras will be installed at major crossroads in Busan's Dongrae District, Haeundae District, Geumjeong District and Yeonje District.

The Busan police said the city saw 7,394 motorcycle accidents in the last five years.

BY KIM MIN-JU [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]