New AI Road Cameras Tested Between Florence, Pisa and Livorno

An artificial intelligence-powered road camera is being tested on the Fi-Pi-Li, the major road linking Florence with Pisa and Livorno on the Tuscan coast.

The 90-day trial involves SafeDrive, a system developed by Tuscany-based company Sodi Scientifica. The device has been installed in the municipality of Lastra a Signa, just west of Florence, where it can monitor traffic travelling in both directions.

For motorists, the most important point is that no fines will be issued as a result of violations detected during the trial. The experiment is designed to test the accuracy of the technology under real traffic conditions and may be renewed once after the initial 90-day period.

What the AI camera can detect

SafeDrive uses high-resolution cameras, infrared lighting and artificial intelligence algorithms to analyse vehicles travelling on multiple lanes.

The system is designed to identify drivers using a mobile phone, including for calls, messaging or apps, as well as drivers and front-seat passengers who are not wearing seat belts.

A separate licence-plate recognition function can also check whether a vehicle has valid compulsory insurance and has undergone the required periodic inspection.

According to the manufacturer, the system can operate day and night and in different weather conditions. Faces captured by the cameras are automatically blurred before images are stored.

Why the Fi-Pi-Li was chosen

The Firenze-Pisa-Livorno road, commonly known simply as the Fi-Pi-Li, is one of the main transport corridors in Tuscany and an important route for anyone travelling between Florence and the western part of the region.

Starting in Florence, it runs west through areas including Lastra a Signa, Empoli, San Miniato and Pontedera before dividing into two branches: one continues towards Pisa, while the other reaches Livorno and its port.

Its combination of heavy traffic, different types of vehicles and sustained speeds makes the road particularly suitable for testing whether the new technology can operate reliably in demanding conditions.

Why there are no fines

The absence of penalties is not only connected with the experimental nature of the programme.

Under the current Italian rules governing offences such as using a mobile phone while driving or failing to wear a seat belt, the violation must normally be immediately contested by police officers who stop the vehicle. SafeDrive therefore cannot currently operate on the Fi-Pi-Li as a fully automatic system issuing fines on its own.

For now, the trial will be used to assess the accuracy of the artificial intelligence system and its potential role in future road-safety enforcement.

(Cover photo by TuscanyFirenze01 via Wikipedia)

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