Some of the world's smartest traffic lights are getting smarter

Urban planners in Vienna, Austria, installed their first smart traffic lights specifically designed to increase pedestrian safety in 2018. After years of analysis and improvement, the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) researchers have now rolled out a second generation of exponentially more complex, deep learning-based software to 21 lights at four crosswalks. Unlike its predecessor, however, the new system is programmed to provide greater help to pedestrians with walking aids, wheelchairs, and even baby strollers. People with disabilities are disproportionately at risk when crossing busy streets. Pedestrians using wheelchairs, for example, are 36 percent more likely to die in a car-related accident when compared to victims struck while standing.