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Dubai , September 29, 2026 : Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) continues to advance
its driver licensing services and deploy the latest smart technologies
through the introduction of the next-generation Smart Test
System (STS). The system represents a significant advance in light-
vehicle yard testing, harnessing artificial intelligence, computer
vision and advanced data analytics.
The system is designed to improve the accuracy and objectivity of
assessments, enhance transparency and fairness, and provide a
better customer experience. It also enhances road safety by
monitoring safety-related behaviours and practices during the test
and enabling preventive action whenever potential risks are
detected.
Sultan Al Akraf, Director of Drivers Licensing at the Licensing
Agency, RTA, said: “The next-generation Smart Test System marks
an important step forward in RTA’s smart transformation of driver
licensing services, harnessing advanced technologies to enhance
testing and assessment. The system is designed to ensure that
learner drivers are evaluated against consistent and precise criteria,
minimising inconsistencies in assessment, strengthening customer
confidence in test results and providing a clearer and more
transparent testing experience.”
Al Akraf added: “The system goes beyond automating the
calculation of test results. It provides an integrated framework for
monitoring and analysing learner performance across different
manoeuvres, while presenting recorded errors in a clear visual
format. This enables customers to understand the reasons behind
their results and identify areas for improvement. The smart safety
technologies integrated into the system also enhance learner
protection during the test through AI-powered collision avoidance
and preventive emergency braking systems. These features help
reduce the likelihood of accidents during testing, create a safer and
more controlled testing environment, and place greater emphasis on
addressing risks before they result in accidents.”
Automated, Standardised Assessment
The next-generation system uses advanced AI technologies
integrated into the test vehicle to monitor learner performance,
analyse manoeuvres automatically and in real time, and assess
every element of the test against standardised criteria, with no
human intervention in calculating the results. It also strengthens
governance controls by verifying learner identity through facial
recognition technology, enhancing the reliability of the testing and
assessment process and ensuring that each result is linked to the
correct learner.
The system also monitors compliance with testing and safety
requirements, including mirror and blind-spot checks using smart
cameras, as well as hand positioning on the steering wheel while
manoeuvres are performed. This enables a comprehensive
assessment of the core skills and behaviours essential to safe
driving.
Exceptional Precision
The upgrades include enhanced vehicle tracking within the test yard
using Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning technology, which
delivers positioning accuracy to within two centimetres. This enables
the system to detect errors related to vehicle path, yard
manoeuvres, parking positions and other violations with a high
degree of precision.
The system also features an interactive 3D map that visualises the
vehicle’s route throughout the test and clearly pinpoints where major
and minor errors occurred. This gives customers a clearer and more
precise understanding of their results and the reasons behind them.
Visual Evidence for Test Results
The system allows customers to replay the vehicle’s journey during
the test and review their performance in detail afterwards, with
visual evidence pinpointing where errors occurred and explaining
why they were recorded. This enhances transparency and helps
customers clearly identify areas for improvement.
To further strengthen safety, the preventive automatic braking
system has been further developed for use within test areas,
enabling automatic intervention whenever the system detects a
situation that could result in a collision or pose a potential risk during
the test. Based on a proactive safety approach, the system
identifies hazards and intervenes before a collision occurs, helping
reduce the risk of accidents and safeguard the learner, the vehicle
and the surrounding test environment.
The system is also designed to maintain consistent performance
under varying weather and lighting conditions, by day and night,
reducing the impact of external factors on monitoring and
assessment.
More Transparent and Safer Experience
The upgrades are expected to deliver a range of direct benefits to
customers, including clearer test results and a better understanding
of the reasons for passing or failing. By integrating test results with
the training system, performance data can also be used to identify
individual learner needs, tailor training programmes, and improve
their quality and effectiveness, further strengthening confidence in
the fairness and objectivity of the assessment process.
The system also enhances transparency by presenting errors
visually and in detail, enabling customers to identify areas for
improvement more precisely. At the same time, it enhances safety
during testing, improves service quality and streamlines test-related
procedures.
The initiative forms part of RTA’s continued efforts to harness
artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to further develop
the driver licensing system, improve operational efficiency and
enhance road safety by helping prepare drivers who are more
committed to safe driving practices. It also supports the
sustainability and continuity of operations, in line with Dubai’s drive
to build a smart, safe and sustainable transport system.
