New Delhi, March 22 -- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Friday said AI-based dashcam systems will be deployed on around 40,000 km of the national highway network to improve road maintenance and safety. Under the initiative, specialised dashboard cameras will be installed on route patrol vehicles (RPVs), which will carry out weekly surveys of highway stretches, said officials aware of the matter. They added that the major focus will be on the pavement condition including detection of potholes, cracks and surface damage, as well as issues such as faded lane markings, damaged crash barriers and non-functional streetlights. The system will also flag other safety concerns like illegal median openings, unauthorised signboards, encroachments and illegal parking. "At least one survey will be conducted at night every month to check the visibility and performance of signages, road markings, reflectors and lighting," NHAI said in a statement. The system will also track other maintenance issues such as waterlogging, missing drainage covers, vegetation growth and the condition of bus bays, the officials said. "For effective monitoring of the reports, the entire highway network has been divided into five zones. A dedicated platform will be used to collect and analyse the data and track road conditions over time, helping authorities identify problems and fix them faster," NHAI stated....