An Implementation Framework for Smart Traffic Management: Leveraging YOLO for Real-Time Vehicle Counting and Priority-Based Signal Control

  • Unique Paper ID: 202878
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 12
  • PageNo: 8163-8171
  • Abstract:
  • Urban traffic congestion, exacerbated by conventional fixed-cycle traffic signal systems, poses a significant challenge to transportation efficiency and public safety. This paper presents an implementation framework for a smart traffic management system designed to mitigate congestion by dynamically adapting signal timings to real-time traffic conditions. The proposed framework leverages the You Only Look Once (YOLO) object detection model to perform accurate, real-time vehicle counting and classification directly from live video feeds of an intersection. The vehicle count data is then fed into a priority-based signal control algorithm that modulates green signal durations based on vehicular density. A critical feature of this framework is an override mechanism that grants absolute priority to emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, ensuring their unimpeded passage. The system architecture is designed for scalability and can be monitored via a web-based dashboard displaying real-time traffic statistics. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared to traditional fixed-timer systems, the proposed framework can significantly reduce average vehicle waiting times and queue lengths, particularly in asymmetrical traffic flow and emergency scenarios. This work contributes a practical and computationally efficient solution for developing more intelligent and responsive urban traffic control systems.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{202878,
        author = {Vijayalakshmi V and Sridevi D},
        title = {An Implementation Framework for Smart Traffic Management: Leveraging YOLO for Real-Time Vehicle Counting and Priority-Based Signal Control},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {8163-8171},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=202878},
        abstract = {Urban traffic congestion, exacerbated by conventional fixed-cycle traffic signal systems, poses a significant challenge to transportation efficiency and public safety. This paper presents an implementation framework for a smart traffic management system designed to mitigate congestion by dynamically adapting signal timings to real-time traffic conditions. The proposed framework leverages the You Only Look Once (YOLO) object detection model to perform accurate, real-time vehicle counting and classification directly from live video feeds of an intersection. The vehicle count data is then fed into a priority-based signal control algorithm that modulates green signal durations based on vehicular density. A critical feature of this framework is an override mechanism that grants absolute priority to emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, ensuring their unimpeded passage. The system architecture is designed for scalability and can be monitored via a web-based dashboard displaying real-time traffic statistics. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared to traditional fixed-timer systems, the proposed framework can significantly reduce average vehicle waiting times and queue lengths, particularly in asymmetrical traffic flow and emergency scenarios. This work contributes a practical and computationally efficient solution for developing more intelligent and responsive urban traffic control systems.},
        keywords = {Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Traffic Management, Object Detection, YOLO, Priority Scheduling},
        month = {May},
        }

Cite This Article

V, V., & D, S. (2026). An Implementation Framework for Smart Traffic Management: Leveraging YOLO for Real-Time Vehicle Counting and Priority-Based Signal Control. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(12), 8163–8171.

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