| Technology Profile
Raising Indian driving standards
with automated testing
Left: One of the
new automated
driver test centers
in India, where
new drivers are
tested using AI
video analytics
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November/December 2019 Traffic Technology International
With 50 million new
drivers forecast to hit
the road over the next
12 years, India’s driver training
and testing infrastructure is
close to overload. The country
also has one the worst road
accident records in the world. To
ensure safer traffic, Idemia has
pioneered a groundbreaking
system of automated driver
testing technologies.
The new system leverages
video analytics and machine
learning, and is not only
increasing test capacity but
also encouraging higher safety
standards nationally. The very
first step for the applicants is to
register and pay for their tests
online. With a unique ID
number, they then receive a QR
code allowing them to enter the
test center. Once their identity
has been biometrically checked,
they are provided with an RFID
tag that makes their vehicle
trackable through a series of
predetermined test maneuvers,
for which they are marked
automatically on the basis of
readings from sensors and CCTV
| Need to know
The driving license
application process in
India and Idemia’s effect
> Between 700,000 and
800,000 new truck drivers
are on Indian roads a year
> Corruption and low
standards meant only 16%
failed through manual
testing but is now up to
49% thanks to the new
automated system
> The public are no longer
sceptical of video analytics
judging driver ability
cameras. Automated test tracks
premiered in the Punjab in 2015
are currently operating at over
50 locations across northern
India. They have proved so
successful that the country plans
to do away with manual testing
altogether before the end of 2020.
In a country that has between
700,000 and 800,000 new truck
drivers each year, the first
benefit of automated driver
testing is increased capacity.
Thanks to automation, tests,
numbers are no longer limited
by the availability of inspectors.
Automatic boom barriers and an
architecture of self-contained
zones with dedicated exit lanes
allow for multiple drivers using
the automated test tracks
simultaneously.
Powerful anti-fraud tool
A new video analytics systems
is an additional powerful tool
for fighting fraud: full biometric
identification ensures the
driving license goes to the
person who took the test, while
automation removes much
potential for corruption. With
good drivers guaranteed to pass
the test and a detailed test
challenge was more insidious:
Because the new system has
eliminated corruption it has met
with resistance from elements
within the administration itself.
Yet despite negative reactions
from a minority of officials, state
governments have been won
over by the efficiency gains and
increased revenues that
automated testing delivers.
Idemia also rolled out realtime
image capturing of the
applicant via an in-vehicle
dashboard camera, plus
biometric authentication for
enhanced security. This overhaul
has made the entire process of
acquiring a driving license more
transparent and convenient for
the public. Additionally,
awareness of traffic and driving
rules was improved and people
were encouraged to get proper
driving lessons.
report generated for all
applicants, the system is
completely transparent: an
important argument in winning
over public opinion. On top of
that, the automated test costs
also prevent potential bribery.
Strict test criteria also deliver
an improvement in driving
standards on India’s roads: In
Delhi, nearly 49% of applicants
have failed their tests since
automatic testing was
introduced, compared to a
failure rate of just 16% with
manual testing. And with
unsuccessful applicants having
to pay again for a repeat test,
that increased failure rate
translates into a significant
increase in government revenue.
Challenges of automation
The main challenges have
been twofold. The new
concept encountered a degree of
customer resistance, with many
wary of how a video camera
could judge their driving skills.
But over time – with automated
test tracks having demonstrated
their accuracy, transparency and
cost effectiveness – those doubts
have disappeared. The second
Idemia
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