A method extracts a region of interest (ROI) from an image depicting a roadway; executes a first object detector that detects, in the ROI, a first situation object matching a first object type; generates a first object confidence score for the first situation object; executes, in parallel with the first object detector, a second object detector that detects, in the ROI, a second situation object matching a second object type different from the first object type; generates a second object confidence score for the second situation object; determines that the first object type and the second object type are associated with a prospective situation category; combines the first object confidence score and the second object confidence score into a situation confidence score corresponding to the prospective situation category; evaluates the situation confidence score to determine that a traffic situation defined by the prospective situation category is depicted in the ROI.