AI Becomes the New Eyes on America’s Roads: Transforming Safety, Maintenance, and the Future of Transportation

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As the United States faces mounting challenges with aging infrastructure and rising traffic risks, artificial intelligence is stepping in as a powerful new tool to keep roads safe. From spotting potholes to assessing broken guardrails, AI technologies are quickly becoming the “new eyes” monitoring America’s highways, helping governments identify hazards faster and deploy repairs more efficiently.

Across states—from Hawaii to Texas—transportation departments are adopting AI-powered dashcams, computer vision systems, and smartphone-based analytics. The goal: automate routine inspections, prevent accidents, and create smarter, safer roads for both human-driven and driverless vehicles of the future.

Hawaii Leads with AI Dashcams to Reverse Rising Road Fatalities

Hawaii is among the most aggressive adopters of AI for road safety. After recording 106 traffic fatalities in 2025—surpassing the previous year—state officials are turning to technology to better understand and prevent problems.

Under the “Eyes on the Road” campaign, Hawaii will distribute 1,000 AI-equipped dashboard cameras to drivers. Valued at $499 each, these dashcams were developed with Nextbase and use artificial intelligence to inspect:

• Guardrails

• Street signs

• Pavement markings

• Lane paint and visibility

• Road debris

Instead of waiting for monthly inspections, these cameras alert authorities in real time whenever they detect significant hazards. The system distinguishes between minor issues and emergencies that require immediate maintenance.

According to Richard Browning, Chief Commercial Officer at Nextbase, this technology eliminates delays:
“Instead of reviewing footage once a month, agencies can now know instantly where a crew needs to be sent.”

Given Hawaii’s geographic challenges—limited space, difficult topography, and the need to ship heavy equipment to islands—AI-enabled infrastructure monitoring offers major efficiency gains.

Why Guardrail Monitoring Has Become Critical

One of the strongest use cases for Hawaii’s AI system is guardrail monitoring. Damaged guardrails can turn minor crashes into deadly accidents. The seriousness of this issue became clear when the state recently paid $3.9 million in settlement to a family whose relative died after crashing into a guardrail that had remained unrepaired for 18 months.

Companies like Blyncsy, which analyzes dashcam feeds along with mapping tools, highlight that the state now checks every single guardrail every day—something impossible with manual inspections.

San Jose’s Smart Street Sweepers: 97% Accuracy in Detecting Potholes

In San Jose, California, city officials are using a different but highly effective approach. Cameras mounted on street sweepers and parking enforcement vehicles automatically scan roads during their daily routes.

The system has demonstrated:

• 97% accuracy in detecting potholes

• Reliable spotting of road debris

• Automated mapping of damaged areas

Mayor Matt Mahan believes this AI model becomes far more powerful when cities share their road-image datasets. San Jose helped create the GovAI Coalition, a network of governments in states like California, Texas, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington.

With shared data, the AI systems learn faster. For example, if the system identifies a cardboard box lodged between two vehicles in one city, it will recognize similar patterns instantly in another.

Texas Uses AI to Scan 250,000 Lane Miles for Old Signs

Texas, with more lane miles than the next two states combined, is also adopting AI at scale. The state’s transportation officials use multiple AI tools, including StreetVision and other computer-vision systems, to map outdated signs and road hazards.

Jim Markham from the Texas Department of Transportation explained the difficulty of manual tracking:
“Work orders from 10 or 15 years ago were on paper. Finding them today is almost impossible. AI lets us scan huge areas quickly and prioritize what needs fixing.”

Texas recently used AI to evaluate 250,000 lane miles, identifying signs that are long overdue for replacement.

StreetVision: Using Mobile Data Instead of Cameras

Not all AI tools rely on dashcams. Massachusetts-based Cambridge Mobile Telematics developed StreetVision, which detects risky driving patterns using cellphone sensors.

The system monitors:

• Sudden braking

• Sharp turns

• Speed changes

• Patterns that indicate dangerous road sections

During a Washington, D.C. conference, StreetVision flagged heavy braking incidents in a particular area. The cause? A large bush hiding a stop sign. The fix was as simple as trimming vegetation—but AI helped discover the otherwise overlooked hazard.

A Step Toward a Driverless Future

Experts argue that these innovations are only the beginning. As autonomous vehicles become more common, roads will need to be monitored continuously and maintained to meet the needs of both humans and AI-driven cars.

Mark Pittman, CEO of Blyncsy, predicts that within eight years:
“Almost every new vehicle will have a camera—whether it’s driven by a person or not.”

This shift requires transportation departments to design infrastructure that is readable for both:

• Human drivers

• Automated systems

AI becomes the bridge that helps governments prepare for this dual future.

A National Transition Toward Smarter Infrastructure

The adoption of AI across states signals a broader change in how governments think about road maintenance. Instead of reactive repairs, agencies can now take predictive, data-driven action.

AI enables:

• Faster identification of hazards

• More efficient deployment of repair crews

• Reduction in fatal accidents

• Better allocation of limited budgets

• Cross-state learning and shared best practices

As road deaths rise in many states and infrastructure ages, these technologies offer hope for safer and more reliable transportation systems.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming road safety across the United States. With AI-powered dashcams, mobile analytics, and shared data strategies, states can now monitor infrastructure in real time, preventing accidents before they happen. Whether it’s detecting hidden hazards, spotting damaged guardrails, mapping potholes, or analyzing driver behavior, AI is becoming the essential partner for modern transportation departments.