Transport for NSW trials machine learning to detect crash blackspots

Transport for NSW has built a proof-of-concept using machine learning technology from Microsoft to identify potentially dangerous traffic intersections and fast-track remediation works. The'dangerous intersections' proof-of-concept, which took place last year, analysed telematic data collected from 50 vehicles travelling on Wollongong's roads over a 10-month period. The data – sent from the vehicles at a rate of 25 records a second – was used to pinpoint five previously unknown blackspots, with the two highest-risk now slated for upgrades later this financial year. TfNSW's data discovery program lead Julianna Bodzan came up with the idea while driving down the Mount Ousley descent on the Princes Highway – a notorious, four-and-a-half kilometre stretch of road leading into North Wollongong. She said the telematics data collected from the vehicles was compared with crash data from known blackspots to discern whether or not other intersections in the coastal city were potentially risky.