AI for Road Safety Inspections in India: What IRC SP:102 Requires?

Introduction

As India's cities expand and urban mobility accelerates, ensuring road safety is more critical than ever. The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) introduced IRC SP:102 to standardize road safety audits for urban roads, laying out comprehensive requirements for design review, defect detection, signage, pavement condition, and more.

But traditional audits — manual and time-consuming — are no longer scalable. Enter AI-based road asset management, which leverages video, sensors, and computer vision to automate inspection, generate real-time insights, and ensure compliance.

In this article, we will explain:

• What IRC SP:102 mandates
• The critical checkpoints for road safety audits
• How AI road inspection platforms like RoadVision AI simplify and accelerate compliance

What Is IRC SP:102?

IRC SP:102 is a code of practice that defines design guidelines and audit procedures for urban roads in India. It covers safety elements from:

• Pavement surface conditions
• Intersection geometry
• Speed calming measures
• Signage and markings
• Pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure
• Night visibility and lighting
• Skid resistance and surface roughness
• Access control and turning lanes

The objective is to reduce crash risk by ensuring that all urban roads meet uniform safety and design standards. These guidelines are crucial for municipal corporations, PWDs, urban development agencies, and DPR consultants.

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The Problem with Manual Road Safety Audits

Traditionally, road audits involve:

• Visual inspections by engineers
• Use of paper-based IRC SP:102 checklists
• Random sampling and subjective scoring
• Physical presence required across large urban stretches

This process is:

• Time-consuming and manpower-heavy
• Inconsistent in repeatability
• Prone to human error
• Unsuitable for rapid urban expansion

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AI-Based Road Asset Management: A Game Changer

Platforms like RoadVision AI use computer vision, smartphone cameras, and GIS mapping to automate the entire audit workflow.

Let’s explore how AI helps in each step of IRC SP:102-based audits.

1. Automated Detection of Road Surface Defects

Using high-resolution camera feeds, RoadVision AI identifies:

• Cracks
• Potholes
• Rutting
• Ravelling
• Edge breaks

These defects are mapped to the corresponding IRC severity scale, helping authorities prioritize repair.

Explore more: Pavement Condition Survey

2. Digital Road Safety Audit Checklists

RoadVision AI overlays camera data with automated safety compliance scoring:

• Intersection geometry violations
• Missing or faded signage
• Faulty road markings
• Non-compliant pedestrian crossings

Explore more: Road Safety Audit

3. Road Inventory Verification

IRC SP:102 emphasizes inventory audits, including:

• Signboards
• Guardrails
• Speed breakers
• Lane markings
• Zebra crossings

AI auto-detects their presence, condition, and GPS location.

Explore more: Road Inventory Inspection

4. Traffic Flow and User Behavior Analysis

IRC SP:102 also includes requirements related to:

• Queue lengths
• Lane changes
• Conflicts at junctions

RoadVision AI analyzes traffic video feeds to assess risky behaviors and simulate pedestrian-vehicle conflict zones.

Explore more: Traffic Survey

5. Pavement Surface Condition Indexing

SP:102 aligns with IRC 82 on rating roads based on:

• Surface roughness
• Skid resistance
• Pavement distress

RoadVision provides automated condition scores and heatmaps, making it easier to identify critical zones.

See real results: Case Studies

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Why Use AI for IRC SP:102 Compliance?

- Audits conducted in record time
- Objective, repeatable measurements
- Digital reports ready for submission to authorities
- Cost-effective for ULBs and consultants
- Real-time maps and risk scores

With RoadVision AI, you can go from road inspection to compliance report in hours—not weeks.

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Conclusion

IRC SP:102 is India’s safety backbone for urban road audits. But complying with it manually is no longer practical, especially for rapidly growing cities.

By adopting AI-based road asset management tools like RoadVision AI, governments, consultants, and urban planners can:

• Detect defects instantly
• Generate audit-ready reports
• Monitor roads regularly
• Reduce costs and improve response time

It is revolutionizing road infrastructure development and maintenance by leveraging cutting-edge AI in road safety and computer vision technology. Through advanced digital twin technology, the platform performs comprehensive road safety audits, enabling early detection of potholes, cracks, and other surface issues, ensuring timely repairs and improved road conditions. It also enhances traffic surveys by providing data-driven insights to address challenges like traffic congestion and optimize road usage. With a focus on building smart roads, RoadVision AI ensures full compliance with IRC Codes, empowering engineers and stakeholders to reduce costs, minimize risks, and improve the overall road safety and transportation experience.

Ready to upgrade your audits? Book a demo today

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FAQs

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Q1. What is IRC SP:102 used for?

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It provides guidelines for road safety audits on Indian urban roads, focusing on intersections, geometry, signage, and pavement condition.

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Q2. Can AI fully automate IRC SP:102 audits?

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Yes. Tools like RoadVision AI automate defect detection, scoring, and reporting aligned with IRC formats.

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Q3. Who needs IRC SP:102 compliance?

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All urban road-owning bodies such as municipal corporations, PWDs, and smart city missions.

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