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New Smart Driving Test car to be launched in Abu Dhabi in December

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Police will use Artificial Intelligence to test applicants’ ability to drive, an official said on Sunday.

The police’s licensing department will start using Smart Driving Test vehicles from December to register mistakes committed by drivers during driving test in the capital, the official told Gulf News on Sunday.

The smart car, exhibited at the World Road Congress at Adnec on Sunday, is fitted with nine cameras – six outside and three inside the vehicle.

All existing driver’s testing vehicles will be replaced or fitted with the new system.

“One camera focuses on the driver’s face to observe whether he or she checked the side mirrors before changing the lanes on the road,” Hamad Al Hammadi, drivers’ inspector at the drivers’ licensing department of Abu Dhabi Police told Gulf News.

“If he fails to see the mirrors before turning or changing lanes, it will be counted as a mistake,” the official said.

Currently, Abu Dhabi Police have 18 driver’s testing vehicles.

“The purpose of the vehicle is to reduce human intervention during the driving test. It will flag mistakes committed by applicants and direct him to drive on a particular road. The vehicle will inform him about mistakes and the places where he committed those mistakes during the test,” Al Hammadi said.

“An examining police officer will be sitting besides the driver as it happens currently in regular testing vehicles,” he said.

The police officers always sit with drivers to control the car and instruct them in case of an emergency, he said.

Inside the car, an Emirates ID reader is also installed and it will be linked to traffic police. Once the examinee inserts his/her card, it will inform about the person’s details and driving test dates, Al Hammadi said.

“These cars will only be used for test after a person completes driving lessons and turns up for the final driving license test,” he said.

“After the test, we send the result through a text message to the driver. If a person fails, we will tell him reasons and will show him video of his mistakes as the entire test will be recorded by onboard cameras,” he explained.

WHAT IS SMART DRIVING TEST VEHICLES?

Smart Driving Test vehicles will be fitted with nine cameras – six inside and three outside of the car to monitor each moment of the car and drivers behaviour while driving the car. It’s linked with the traffic police control room and recorded.