Written Answer · 2026-08-04 · Parliament 15
Use of AI-enabled Traffic Camera Systems to Detect Erratic or Dangerous Driving Behaviours
Melvin Yong, citing the rise in road traffic accidents and fatalities in 2025, asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in a written question whether the Traffic Police is studying AI-enabled traffic camera systems capable of detecting erratic or dangerous driving behaviours, so that enforcement or intervention can happen before accidents occur. K Shanmugam replied that, as stated in Parliament on 7 April 2026, the Traffic Police has deployed nine Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras since March 2026. These cameras use video analytics and automatic number plate recognition to detect selected offences, including red-light running, illegal U-turns and crossing double white lines. The Traffic Police has been exploring, and will continue to explore, the use of artificial intelligence and other technological tools to identify dangerous driving behaviours and support timely intervention where appropriate. The answer gave no specific plan or timeline for AI-based detection of dangerous driving beyond the existing violation cameras.
Why it matters
The Traffic Police has run nine violation-enforcement cameras since March 2026, but AI detection of dangerous driving remains at the exploration stage with no timeline.
Key Points
- • Melvin Yong cited the 2025 rise in accidents and fatalities to ask whether the Traffic Police is studying AI camera systems that detect dangerous driving
- • The Traffic Police has deployed nine Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras since March 2026, as reported to Parliament on 7 April 2026
- • The cameras use video analytics and automatic number plate recognition to detect selected offences such as red-light running, illegal U-turns and crossing double white lines
- • The Traffic Police will keep exploring AI and other tools to identify dangerous driving, but the reply gave no specific plan or timeline
The Ministry of Home Affairs points to the nine Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras already in place (video analytics plus automatic number plate recognition) as the technology-enforcement baseline, and on AI detection of dangerous driving commits only to continued exploration and timely intervention where appropriate, with no plan, scale or timeline.
Questioner Melvin Yong framed the issue as prevention before the fact: with accidents and fatalities up in 2025 and existing cameras only capturing offences after they occur, he wants the Traffic Police to use AI to spot erratic or dangerous driving and intervene before a crash.
The Traffic Police's technology-enforcement track remains rule-based violation detection — red-light running, U-turns, line crossing — behaviours that video analytics and plate recognition can judge objectively. Using AI to infer "dangerous driving", which requires behavioural judgement, is still at the exploration stage. That matches Singapore's usual cadence for public-sector AI: land low-controversy, verifiable use cases first, then extend to enforcement scenarios that require discretion.
"TP has been and will continue to explore the use of artificial intelligence and other technological tools to identify dangerous driving behaviours and support timely intervention where appropriate."
Participants (2)
Original Text (English)
SPRS Hansard · Fetched: 2026-09-04
38 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs in light of the increase in road traffic accidents and fatalities in 2025, whether the Traffic Police is studying the use of AI-enabled traffic camera systems capable of detecting erratic or dangerous driving behaviours so that timely enforcement or intervention can be taken before accidents occur.
Mr K Shanmugam : As mentioned in Parliament on 7 April 2026, the Traffic Police (TP) has deployed nine Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras since March 2026. [ Please refer to "Findings from Trial Deployment of Traffic Violation Enforcement Cameras", Official Report, 7 April 2026, Vol 96, Issue 27, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section. ]
These cameras use video analytics and automatic number plate recognition technology to detect selected traffic offences, including red-light running, illegal U-turns and crossing double white lines.
TP has been and will continue to explore the use of artificial intelligence and other technological tools to identify dangerous driving behaviours and support timely intervention where appropriate.