Although autonomous vehicles frequently steal the media spotlight, Tanya Mohn argues that there are more practical, immediate ways to use artificial intelligence to improve traffic safety. As Mohn writes, “Artificial intelligence is already being used to enhance driving safety: cellphone apps that monitor behavior behind the wheel and reward safe drivers with perks and connected vehicles that communicate with each other and with road infrastructure.”

According to David Ward, president of the Global New Car Assessment Program, there are several “beneficial, low-cost, intermediate technologies that are available now. A prime example is intelligent speed assistance, or I.S.A., which uses A.I. to manage a car’s speed via in-vehicle cameras and maps,” a technology that will soon be mandatory in the European Union.

Other technologies include cameras that can assess distracted driving behavior, allowing law enforcement to see whether a driver is holding a phone below the dashboard, for example.