AI cameras on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway detect 13 lakh violations, slap Rs 90 crore in fines in 3 years
The cameras installed by the Karnataka traffic department detect violations using artificial intelligence technology. Twelve such cameras are installed along the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.
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A key issue raised by complainants is the inaccurate booking of cases for not wearing a seat belt. (File Photo)Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) cameras installed along the 119 km 10-lane Bengaluru-Mysuru highway have booked 13 lakh traffic violation cases during 2022-2024, according to data released by the Karnataka home department during the Belagavi session of the state legislature on Thursday. Fines totalling Rs 90 crore have also been imposed during these three years of which only Rs 4 crore has been collected.
Driving without a seatbelt tops the list of violations with 7 lakh cases, followed by overspeeding (2 lakh cases), lane discipline violation (1 lakh) and using mobile phones while driving (23,000). However, out of the total 13 lakh cases booked, only 74,000 have been cleared in the three years.
In 2024, a total of 4.1 lakh cases were booked and a fine amount of Rs 24 crore was imposed. Of these cases, only 15,000 have been cleared with a pending fine amount of Rs 23 crore.
ITMS cameras installed by the Karnataka traffic and road safety department monitor and detect traffic violations using artificial intelligence technology. According to the department, a total of 12 such cameras are installed along the highway. Five cameras each have been installed in Mandya and Ramanagra regions while two have been installed in the Mysuru region.
The cameras usually capture images of the vehicles involved in the violations and use the vehicle’s registration number to promptly send an SMS to the owner, notifying them of the traffic violation and the corresponding fine.
However, the department is also thoroughly reviewing complaints from drivers who claim they were fined despite adhering to traffic rules, such as wearing seat belts or not using mobile phones while driving.
A key issue raised by complainants is the inaccurate booking of cases for not wearing a seat belt. They argue that the AI-based cameras often fail to detect seat belts when the shirt color is dark, making seat belts appear invisible.
Additionally, the Bengaluru-Mysuru access-controlled highway has recorded a significant drop in road fatalities, from 188 in 2023 to just 50 in 2024, after the installation of the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) in July 2024, according to the data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The ATMS improves traffic safety through real-time monitoring and quicker incident response, with zero fatalities reported from September to December 2024, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways recently. The reasons for the decline in fatalities also include the installation of sectional speed control cameras this year.
The AI-powered cameras are equipped with sophisticated algorithms capable of monitoring the speed of vehicles in real time. When a vehicle exceeds the speed limit—typically set between 80-100 km/h—the cameras automatically capture the vehicle’s number plate. The data is then transmitted to a Traffic Management Centre (TMC), where cases are registered under the Motor Vehicles Act, and e-challans (electronic fines) are generated and sent to the violators.
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