The Hawaii Department of Transportation has launched a statewide road monitoring initiative that distributes 1,000 high-resolution dashcams to residents, leveraging artificial intelligence to detect infrastructure defects and safety hazards across the archipelago’s highway network.
The Eyes on the Road programme represents a collaboration between the state transportation agency, the University of Hawaii at Mānoa College of Engineering, and Bentley Systems subsidiary Blyncsy. The initiative aims to create continuous monitoring coverage across approximately 982 miles of state-managed roadways and 744 bridges spanning four main islands.
Crowdsourced Imagery Creates Digital Twin of Road Network
Participating residents receive Nextbase dashcams valued at $499 at no cost. The devices record video automatically during normal driving, capturing road conditions through the windshield. Footage is transmitted to cloud servers via cellular connectivity, where Blyncsy’s machine learning algorithms analyse still images extracted from the video stream.
The system automatically detects multiple categories of infrastructure issues including guardrail damage, vegetation encroachment on signs and sightlines, pavement deterioration, debris accumulation, and faded road markings. Rather than relying on citizen reports or periodic manual inspections, the AI platform generates work orders that are transmitted directly to maintenance crews.
The programme establishes tiered inspection frequencies based on safety priority. Guardrail damage assessments occur every 12 hours, while vegetation and debris monitoring takes place weekly. Sign inventory and stripe visibility evaluations are conducted annually.
$762,000 Programme Addresses Maintenance Staffing Challenges
Total programme costs for the one-year performance period reach $761,958, covering both camera hardware and image processing services. Funding comes from Hawaii’s Highway Fund. The investment reflects the transportation department’s effort to address staffing constraints that limit traditional inspection capacity.
Camera distribution is allocated across islands based on roadway coverage requirements. The Big Island receives 390 units, Maui and surrounding islands get 245, Oahu receives 250, and Kauai takes 115. Each device is encoded to function only on its assigned island and connects through the vehicle’s OBD diagnostic port. As of early January 2026, the department reported sign-ups from 898 drivers on Oahu, 69 on Hawaii Island, 33 on Maui, and 14 on Kauai.
The state continues recruiting participants in outer island locations, seeking an additional 321 drivers on Hawaii Island, 211 on Maui, and 101 on Kauai to achieve comprehensive geographic coverage.
AI Analytics Shift Maintenance from Reactive to Proactive
Blyncsy’s technology platform converts the crowdsourced imagery into actionable infrastructure intelligence. The system processes video as still images, applying computer vision algorithms trained to identify over 50 distinct roadway safety issues. Analysis occurs anonymously, with all faces and licence plates automatically blurred in processed imagery.
The approach enables transportation agencies to identify and remediate problems before they escalate into safety hazards or require costly reconstruction. According to programme documentation, preserving roadway assets through timely maintenance costs between $30,000 and $500,000 per lane-mile, compared to reconstruction costs ranging from $1.1 million to $2.3 million per lane-mile.
Bentley Systems acquired Blyncsy in August 2023, integrating the AI road analytics capability into its Asset Analytics portfolio and iTwin digital twin platform. The acquisition positioned the infrastructure software company to offer transportation agencies automated condition assessment tools that replace manual surveys and reduce reliance on expensive LiDAR inspection equipment.
Hawaii’s Traffic Fatality Surge Underscores Safety Imperative
The programme launch coincides with Hawaii’s worsening road safety statistics. Traffic fatalities statewide reached 129 in 2025, a 26.5% increase from 102 deaths in 2024 and the highest toll since 2007. The first half of 2025 saw fatalities increase 48% compared to the same period the previous year, more than double the rate of the next-closest state.
Hawaii transportation officials estimate that over 90% of traffic fatalities involve human factors including impaired driving, speeding, and distraction. However, infrastructure conditions also contribute to crash severity. In 2024, the state reached a $3.9 million settlement with the family of a driver killed in 2020 after colliding with a guardrail that had been damaged in a previous crash 18 months earlier but never repaired.
The Eyes on the Road initiative addresses the detection gap by ensuring damaged safety infrastructure receives prompt attention. The AI system can identify guardrail defects within 12 hours of occurrence, potentially preventing secondary crashes involving already-compromised barriers.
Programme Includes Reckless Driving Reporting Capability
Beyond infrastructure monitoring, participating drivers may use their dashcams to document dangerous behaviour by other motorists. The Nextbase mobile application allows users to access stored footage and submit video clips to law enforcement agencies for follow-up investigation. This reporting capability is entirely voluntary, and users retain full ownership of their recorded footage.
Privacy protections form a central programme design element. The dashcams record only forward-facing road views with no interior camera or audio capture. All data is anonymised and aggregated, preventing individual camera tracking. Programme administrators cannot access raw footage; only AI-processed condition reports reach transportation staff.
