Research Article | ![]()
A Smart AI-Based System for Emergency Vehicle Prioritization in Urban Traffic
Author(s): Ebtihal Rashid Al-Bahri1, Bindu Puthentharayil Vikraman2, Rana Mohammed Al-Khaife3, Anood Zahran Al-Rajaibi4
Published In : International Journal of Electrical and Electronics Research (IJEER) Volume 13, Issue 3
Publisher : FOREX Publication
Published : 30 September 2025
e-ISSN : 2347-470X
Page(s) : 615-620
Abstract
Prioritizing and taking the necessary procedures to ensure human safety is critical. One of the many challenges we face in modern life is the increased risk of traffic congestion. Congestion on the streets may be problematic in large cities, especially for emergency vehicles such as fire engines and ambulances. Traffic delays are caused by a range of factors, including the weather, the time of day, the season, and unexpected occurrences such as accidents or construction projects. This creates delays in responding to emergencies, which leads to several deaths. A traffic control system limits the number of cars that can pass on a route without colliding with or impeding traffic flow. To minimize traffic congestion, a busier lane requires a longer green light than others. Systems with large traffic volumes require an adaptive system with traffic density control capabilities. A generic traffic control system may struggle to distinguish between emergencies and high-priority scenarios. This project proposes an intelligent traffic control system that prioritizes emergency vehicles utilizing artificial intelligence and image processing to address this issue. This allows these automobiles to drive through busy regions of traffic without stopping. The ESP32-CAM used in this project captures images of vehicles and then uses AI and an image processing-based model to detect emergency vehicles (Ambulances). If it identifies the presence of any emergency vehicle, the corresponding lane will be cleared till the vehicle passes the signal point. After the emergency vehicles pass the road, the system will return to normal mode.
Keywords: Adaptive traffic system, Emergency vehicles, Real-time traffic management, Intelligent traffic control, Traffic signal automation.
Ebtihal Rashid Al-Bahri, Engineering Department, University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Al Mussanah, Al mussanah, Sultanate of Oman; Email: ealbahri41@gmail.com
Bindu Puthentharayil Vikraman, Engineering Department, University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Al Mussanah, Al mussanah, Sultanate of Oman; Email: bindup2005@gmail.com
Rana Mohammed Al-Khaife, Engineering Department, University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Al Mussanah, Al mussanah, Sultanate of Oman; Email: 52S1924@utas.edu.om
Al Anood Zahran Al-Rajaibi, Engineering Department, University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Al Mussanah, Al mussanah, Sultanate of Oman; Email: 56S1935@utas.edu.om
-
[1] X. Zou et al., “The effects of weather factors on road traffic casualties:X. Zou et al., “The effects of weather factors on road traffic casualties: Analysis on provincial panel data of China from 2006 to 2021,” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 17, p. e36788, 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36788.
-
[2] P. Rosayyan, J. Paul, S. Subramaniam, and S. I. Ganesan, “An optimal control strategy for emergency vehicle priority system in smart cities using edge computing and IOT sensors,” Meas. Sensors, vol. 26, p. 100697, 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measen.2023.100697.
-
[3] Sharma, R., & Gupta, K. (2022). Embedded AI for Traffic Monitoring Using ESP32-CAM. Journal of IoT and Embedded Systems, 6(2).
-
[4] Projects Factory. (2021). Zigbee-Based Traffic Ambulance Signal Control. Retrieved from https://projectsfactory.in/product/zigbee-based-traffic-ambulance-signal-control.
-
[5] Arduino. (2021). Arduino UNO Rev3 Specifications. Retrieved from https://store.arduino.cc/products/arduino-uno-rev3
-
[6] Santos, S., & Santos, S. (2020). ESP32-CAM Video Streaming and Face Recognition with Arduino IDE. Random Nerd Tutorials. Retrieved from https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-video-streaming-face-recognition-arduino-ide/.
-
[7] Rust, E. (2020). Getting Started with Edge Impulse. Edge Impulse Blog. Retrieved from
-
[8] Mybotic. (2019). Mini Traffic Light LED Display Module Tutorial. Instructables. Retrieved from https://www.instructables.com/LED-Traffic-Light-Module-Using-Arduino-UNO/
-
[9] Gunda, H. (2018). Smart Traffic Management System Using Arduino and RFID Tags. Journal of Current Research in Technology, 6(2).
-
[10] Y. -R. Chen, Keng-Pin Chen and Pao-Ann Hsiungy, "Dynamic traffic light optimization and Control System using model-predictive control method," 2016 IEEE 19th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2016, pp. 2366-2371, doi: 10.1109/ITSC.2016.7795937.
-
[11] R. Sundar, S. Hebbar and V. Golla, "Implementing Intelligent Traffic Control System for Congestion Control, Ambulance Clearance, and Stolen Vehicle Detection," in IEEE Sensors Journal, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 1109-1113, Feb. 2015, doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2014.2360288.
-
[12] M. F. Rachmadi et al., "Adaptive traffic signal control system using camera sensor and embedded system," TENCON 2011 - 2011 IEEE Region 10 Conference, Bali, Indonesia, 2011, pp. 1261-1265, doi: 10.1109/TENCON.2011.6129009.
-
[13] Maleki, M. (n.d.). GPS Car Tracker Using Arduino and SIM808. Retrieved from https://electropeak.com/learn/gps-car-tracker-using-arduino-and-sim808.
-
[14] Edge Impulse. (n.d.). Edge Impulse: The leading development platform for machine learning on edge devices. Retrieved from https://www.edgeimpulse.com.
-
[15] Cirkit Designer. (n.d.). FTDI Programmer Tutorial and Pinout. Retrieved from https://docs.cirkitdesigner.com/component/ftdi-programmer.

I. J. of Electrical & Electronics Research