AI Cameras Can Catch Traffic Violators In East Yorkshire

Illustration of a person using a phone while driving (photo: dock. pexels)

JAKARTA - This AI-powered camera can detect drivers who violate the law. This camera will remain in place for a week as part of an ongoing national trial in the UK.

Today, Safer Roads Humber will deploy an AI-powered mobile camera to capture drivers who use cell phones and are not wearing seat belts. The cameras operated by Australian road safety company Acusensus will be on the streets of East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire for a week.

This is the second time this AI camera has been deployed in the region as part of a trial across the UK conducted by National Highways. Ian Robertson of the Safer Roads Humber partnership said, "This sophisticated equipment improves our enforcement capabilities."

This new AI camera will be deployed on the streets of East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire starting today. This camera will be deployed from a trailer clearly visible on the roadside in the area from which this camera will take photos of drivers in the cars that come. These images will then be reviewed by AI trained to detect whether the driver is using a cell phone or driving without a seat belt.

According to a spokesman for Safer Roads Humber, Acusensus will be responsible for installing the system on site and operating its detection software. While Acusensus will conduct an initial evaluation, the company will share images marked by AI with Safer Roads Humber or National Highways for a secondary review.

This means that individual cases will be reviewed by several people before a fine or prosecution is issued. Mobile cameras use AI to detect whether the driver is using a cell phone or not wearing a seat belt and will remain in the area for a week.

What are the penalties the driver can face? If caught using a cell phone:

If you don't wear a seat belt:

"Vans of our safety cameras are now able to detect mobile phone users, seat belts violations, and other breaches, such as careless driving, but these specialized equipment give us additional capacity," Robertson said.

This is happening amid an increase in the number of prosecutions for the use of mobile phones while driving. According to data released by The AA earlier this year, the number of fixed penalties issued for cell phone use increased 93 percent between 2021 and 2022. The AA suggests that this increase may be due to an increase in the "detective" of the dashcam that sends their recordings to the police to assist prosecution.

While the use of mobile phones while driving is still very common, it also makes drivers about four times more likely to get involved in accidents. "Using a mobile phone while driving, whether it's for sending text messages, checking status, or calling friends, is a very intentional act. Not wearing a seat belt is a very intentional act and if you're involved in a collision, you're more likely to be killed or seriously injured," Robertson said.

Safer Roads Humber has previously implemented this technology as part of an ongoing trial by the National Highways. Trials began in 2021 when drivers were sent a warning letter after the AI cameras caught them driving without a seat belt and will continue until March 2025. National Highways has partnered with infrastructure company AECOM which manages the implementation and storage of all data collected during the trial.

The data collected will be stored by AECOM for three months after being transferred to a relevant law enforcement agency. While the results of the trial will not be available until completion, preliminary data show that this camera can be very effective. During one of the early implementations intensifies and Cornwall, nearly 300 drivers were found using cell phones or not wearing seat belts in just three days.

AI-powered cameras were previously deployed intensive and Cornwall to arrest 117 people using their phones in just three days as seen in this image.As part of a 15-day trial in 2022, a larger vehicle-based system detected 590 seat belt breaches and 45 cell phone usage violations.

The AI Acusensus-powered cameras were also previously used in the Australian state of New South Wales, where they are expected to have reduced the road's death toll by a fifth.