Jack Loughran Mon 2 Sep 2024
Collected at: https://eandt.theiet.org/2024/09/02/ai-equipped-cameras-catch-drivers-using-phones-and-not-wearing-seat-belts
AI cameras that detect drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts are being trialled in Greater Manchester.
The ‘Heads Up’ technology from Acusensus captures footage of passing vehicles before the images are processed with AI to detect potential offenders.
Footage deemed to contain evidence of an offence is then seen by humans to make a final determination. During the trial period, the data will be used by Safer Roads Greater Manchester to understand how many drivers still choose to break the law in a bid to refine future road safety campaigns.
According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), research shows that drivers are four times more likely to crash when using their phone while driving and twice as likely to die in a crash if they fail to wear a seatbelt.
Peter Boulton, TfGM’s network director for highways, said: “In Greater Manchester we know that distractions and not wearing seatbelts are key factors in a number of road traffic collisions on our roads which have resulted in people being killed or seriously injured.
“By utilising this state-of-the-art technology provided by Acusensus, we hope to gain a better understanding of how many drivers break the law in this way, whilst also helping to reduce these dangerous driving practices and make our roads safer for everyone.”
Heads Up, which can be mounted to a vehicle or a trailer, will be deployed at several locations across Greater Manchester from 2 September on a trial basis.
Between 2014 and 2023, 138 people were killed or seriously injured following road traffic collisions in Greater Manchester where driver distraction was a contributing factor. In 23 of those fatal accidents, the driver was using a mobile phone.
Driving while distracted is listed among the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s ‘fatal four’ causes of road traffic collisions, alongside speeding, drink and drug driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.
In 2020, one in four people killed in road traffic collisions in Greater Manchester wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
The Acusensus camera system has been used by police forces and local highways authorities across the UK since it was first trialled by National Highways in 2021.
Geoff Collins, general manager at Acusensus, said: “The vast majority of drivers set out to be safe on every journey, but bad habits can creep in, resulting in a safety risk for everyone. This approach is the first step in encouraging better behaviour, ensuring safety for all road users.”
Leave a Reply