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New generation of radars begins to be installed on Minas Gerais highways with automatic license plate reading, identification of suspicious vehicles, and real-time integration with inspection systems, amid the state government’s strategy to expand traffic monitoring and reinforce road safety actions in sections considered critical.
The state highways of Minas Gerais will begin to receive, starting in June 2026, a new generation of smart radars with real-time automatic license plate reading, identification of stolen or cloned vehicles, and continuous monitoring of traffic in sections considered strategic by DER-MG.
According to the state government, the first phase foresees the installation of 210 new devices, which will be incorporated into the current electronic inspection network, currently consisting of 614 radars in operation on Minas Gerais highways.
Also according to DER-MG, the goal set by the State is to reach 1,300 smart radars by 2028, distributed in different regions of the state highway network, mainly in sections considered critical for road safety.
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Smart radars will monitor traffic in real-time
In addition to speed control, the devices will have the capacity to cross-reference information, issue automatic alerts, and identify traffic patterns considered unusual by the monitoring systems used by DER-MG.
Among the examples presented by the department are vehicles that repeatedly travel the same route throughout the day or that frequently travel in convoys at certain times and monitored regions.
According to the Director of Road Operations at DER-MG, Rodrigo Santos Colares, the system will be able to automatically signal these behaviors, allowing inspection teams to direct their approaches to situations previously identified by the technology.
In the agency’s assessment, the model could reduce random approaches and expand the monitoring of occurrences considered suspicious, using data processed in real-time and integrated with existing information databases.
From this data cross-referencing, teams responsible for inspection will be able to receive automatic alerts about possible irregularities, including vehicles with theft records, suspected cloning, or misuse of transport-related authorizations.
DER-MG defines installation points based on accidents
As informed by DER-MG, the points chosen for the installation of the equipment were defined based on technical geoprocessing studies and surveys on accidents recorded on state highways.
The priority, according to the department, will be directed to sections with a higher concentration of occurrences and the need for more intense monitoring by the teams responsible for electronic surveillance.
For Professor Agmar Bento Teodoro, from the Department of Transportation Engineering at Cefet-MG, the main difference between the new equipment and traditional radars is the range of monitoring carried out along the highways.
According to the specialist, conventional radars record speed only in the vicinity of the equipment, which causes many drivers to reduce speed only at the monitored point.
“These new radars are more efficient in controlling speed, as they allow monitoring vehicles throughout the entire stretch of the highway,” stated the specialist.
In the professor’s assessment, continuous monitoring can contribute to greater respect for speed limits and, consequently, help reduce accidents on state roads.
Government of Minas forecasts savings of R$ 76 million
According to an estimate presented by DER-MG, the technology could generate around R$ 76 million in savings in costs related to accidents recorded on Minas Gerais state highways.
The department also reported that less than 1% of vehicles passing through the radars end up being fined, a fact used by the agency to defend the preventive nature of electronic surveillance.
For the general director of DER-MG, Matheus Novais, the initiative represents a change in the management of state highways, with a broader use of data and monitoring tools.
“We are moving from an essentially reactive model to an approach based on data and intelligence,” stated the general director of the department.
According to Matheus Novais, the use of this information could help anticipate problems and define operational strategies aimed at the surveillance and management of state roads.
Another point foreseen in the project is the adoption of a performance-based contracting model for the equipment responsible for electronic surveillance on state highways.
In this format, as informed by the Minas Gerais government, the equipment will be remunerated according to the effective operating time and will not be paid during periods of failure or unavailability.
Integration with artificial intelligence and traffic apps
The system may also share information with other state agencies, including the State Department of Justice and Public Security and the State Department of Finance, according to a forecast presented by the Minas Gerais government.
According to the State, this integration should occur in future stages and may expand actions related to vehicle inspection and monitoring of state highways.
The implementation of intelligent radars is part of a set of measures aimed at modernizing the road infrastructure in Minas Gerais, according to information released by the state government.
Among the mentioned initiatives are integration with the Waze app and the use of artificial intelligence in monitoring traffic conditions and circulation on roads managed by the State.
Despite the expansion of electronic monitoring, road safety experts state that the maintenance conditions of the highways continue to be crucial for reducing accidents.
According to Agmar Bento Teodoro, the roads need to maintain pavement in good condition, visible horizontal signage, well-maintained signs, and sides free of vegetation that could compromise drivers’ visibility.
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