We made flying nearly collision-proof decades ago. Why are intersections still so dangerous?

"The real problem is infrastructure, not vehicle safety. Roadways are open systems with infinite variables—weather, pedestrians, distracted drivers, and aging infrastructure. Communication between vehicles is minimal, and infrastructure is largely silent—and in that gap lies the potential for deadly collisions."

"The lesson from aerospace is clear: safety comes from mandatory communication and a shared system design, not from relying on each vehicle to figure it out on its own."

"A shared safety layer must live in the physical and digital infrastructure itself. AI sensors and models need to be able to see our intersections and highways, understand how vehicles, pedestrians, and other road users interact, and predict risk before collisions occur."

In the U.S., car crashes occur at an alarming rate, averaging 11 per minute, while aviation incidents are significantly lower due to stringent communication protocols. The lack of systemic communication among the 280 million registered vehicles on the road contributes to this issue. Unlike aviation, where safety is prioritized through mandatory communication, roadways operate as open systems with numerous unpredictable variables. To improve road safety, a shared safety layer must be integrated into both physical and digital infrastructure, utilizing AI to predict and mitigate risks before collisions happen.

Read at Fast Company