The programme, called PACE-AI, is designed to quickly and accurately work out vehicle speeds involved in collisions with pedestrians, but also a pedestrian’s speed, crossing gait and crossing direction.
By inputting a few details at the scene, such as the height of the pedestrian and damage to the vehicle’s bumper and windscreen, police officers can use PACE-AI to provide vital clues about what happened and assist with their in-situ investigations.
It is currently a lengthy process for police to accurately assess the speed of a vehicle involved in a collision and it is hard to get any data about the movement of a pedestrian involved.
The information provided by PACE-AI is useful not just in potential litigation. Dr Christophe Bastien from Coventry University’s Research Centre for Future Transport and Cities, who led the team which developed the tool, believes it could also be useful for medics in the future.
By calculating the speed of a collision, it could potentially help paramedics prepare for the kind of injuries typical in such conditions. This could mean for example they may be able to better triage patients they suspect could have sustained brain injuries, which are more likely to occur at higher speeds.
Dr Bastien said: “This is a transformative moment for forensic investigation. By combining biomechanics, AI, and real-world collision data, we’re giving investigators a tool that’s fast, accurate, and built for frontline use.”
Albi Lamaj, Associate Director for Intellectual Property at Coventry University, said: “We are proud to support the protection and real-world deployment of technologies like PACE AI. This collaboration shows how Coventry University research and innovation can directly enhance public safety and investigative practice internationally.
“PACE AI is a great example of how strong intellectual property foundations and strategic partnerships can help move research beyond the lab, enabling real impact in communities, in policing, and potentially in healthcare too.”
The trial in Frankfurt with The Hessian Police Force will focus on evaluating PACE-AI's potential to accelerate complex investigations such as hit-and-run cases, with the results used to inform broader adoption around the world.
Antonio Pedron, Hochschuldozent, Fachbereich POLIZEI, HoeMS, said: “We are proud to host this collaboration and support the trial of PACE-AI in Germany. This partnership reflects our commitment to innovation in policing and forensic science. By working with Coventry University, we aim to bring cutting-edge tools into real-world practice, enhancing both investigative efficiency and public safety.”
Pedestrian collisions make up around a quarter of road traffic collisions globally and their complexity often makes investigations lengthy and costly, due to a lack of available data.
Sometimes for instance the point of collision may not be evident or the weather conditions may not allow investigators to collect all the relevant information.
PACE-AI is not intended as a replacement for forensic reconstruction analysis, but can narrow the range of plausible accident scenarios and give investigators a more realistic idea of what happened within seconds at the side of the road.
This can allow police to more accurately determine the driver’s level of responsibility and make the final reconstruction of the accident quicker and less costly.
