Digitising accident reporting for safer streets in Graz, Austria
The Challenge
Graz, a city in Austria, faced a critical bottleneck in how it documented accidents in public transport operations. Drivers relied on analogue paper forms to report incidents such as minor collisions or passenger falls. This outdated process delayed data processing, created inconsistencies, and made it impossible to identify accident hotspots or recurring safety issues. Furthermore, the lack of digital data limited the city’s ability to implement proactive safety measures or optimise insurance handling and operational planning.
The Solution
To address this, Graz Linien, the city’s public transport operator, partnered with Mapular who developed SmartDrive AI - a platform designed to digitise accident reporting and integrate predictive analytics. The project involved equipping 27 drivers with tablets and giving them access to the app’s multilingual, intuitive interface. Through the platform, drivers could submit accident reports in real time, complete with GPS-tagged locations and photo uploads.
Smart Drive AI is a digital tool that enables municipalities to gain real-time insights into incident patterns, allowing for faster response times and improved coordination between agencies. With its user-friendly interface and adaptable design, Smart Drive AI provides a comprehensive overview of accident data, making it easier for cities to identify trends, optimise response strategies, and enhance overall safety.
Flexible and customisable, it is an ideal tool for city administrations, public transport authorities, and any entity looking to modernise their accident reporting process and gain deeper insights into urban mobility and safety.
To build a strong data foundation, the project included a discovery phase to integrate historical accident records, traffic data, and city geodata.
Making an impact
The impact achieved through this fruitful collaboration with the city’s public transport operator has been significant:
- 90% decrease in reporting time: drivers were able to submit accurate and complete accident reports almost instantly, compared to the previously time-consuming paper-based process.
- Full data integrity: 100% of submitted reports were successfully stored during the pilot, ensuring a reliable dataset for further analysis.
- Accident trend insights: analysis of pilot and historical data revealed three key accident patterns, validated by the transport operator’s accident management team.
- Inclusive design: multilingual features and intuitive interfaces ensured usability for drivers of diverse backgrounds and technical skill levels.
Lessons learnt
- Digital tools can unlock operational safety insights: moving from analogue to digital reporting not only speeds up documentation but also lays the groundwork for predictive safety measures.
- User-friendliness is essential: adoption depends heavily on how intuitive and accessible the tool is - especially in diverse teams.
- Data integration requires groundwork: a successful implementation hinges on aligning existing data sources (e.g., historical accidents, geodata, traffic) into a structured, unified system.
- Future potential beyond Graz: the success of the project paves the way for full-scale deployment and even licensing the solution to other cities or public transport companies.
