Drivers warned of revolutionary new AI speed cameras that can see inside cars rolling out next week
AI cameras can detect if a driver uses their phone at the wheel
TRANSPORT FOR GREATER MANCHESTER
New revolutionary speed cameras will be rolled out across the North of England to catch motorists who break crucial driving rules.
Greater Manchester will launch trial cameras from September 3 which can automatically detect if a driver is using their mobile phone behind the wheel or not wearing a seat belt.
The new technology from Acusensus captures footage of passing vehicles before using artificial intelligence to detect potential offences. Footage is then examined a second time by a human to confirm that an offence has occurred.
If the image shows that no offence has been committed, it is deleted immediately from the archives, but if there has been a break in the law, drivers will be issued penalties.
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Drivers are four times more likely to crash if on their phone
TRANSPORT FOR GREATER MANCHESTER
This trial comes after research found that drivers are four times more likely to be in a crash if they use a phone while driving and twice as likely to die in a crash if they are not wearing a seatbelt.
Peter Boulton, Network Director for Highways, said: “In Greater Manchester, we know that distractions and not wearing seat belts 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.”
The campaign was also supported by Calvin Buckley, whose partner Frankie Julia Hough and their unborn daughter Neeve, died after a drivercrashed into her car which had stopped on the hard shoulder. The driver was on their phone speeding during the collision.
Buckley said: “Two people lost their lives as a result of someone using their phone while driving, and to put it simply my life was destroyed.
“It’s become quite common for people to use their phone to check messages, send photos or change the music while driving.
“But all it takes is a split second to become distracted, and when you take your eyes off the road anything could happen. You could hit another car, a pedestrian, injure or kill yourself.”
Official reports found that between 2014 and 2023, 138 people were killed or seriously injured following road traffic collisions in Greater Manchester.
It highlighted how driver distraction was a contributing factor to the incidents and that 23 people lost their lives in a road traffic collision where the driver was using a mobile phone.
Superintendent Gareth Parkin from Greater Manchester Police’s Special Operations added: “The road requires your full attention whatever your mode of transport. Distractions such as mobile phones and other handheld devices can cause you to lose your focus on the road and potentially miss an upcoming hazard.
“We know that wearing a seat belt is not just a life-saving habit, it is a legal requirement; that should be prioritised by every individual for their own well-being and the well-being of others on the road.”
The Acusensus camera system has been used by police forces and local highway authorities since 2021.
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AI speed cameras have been used since 2021
PAGeoff Collins, General Manager at Acusensus, explained that the AI technology will allow Safer Roads Greater Manchester to better understand the levels of distracted driving and seat belt wearing on their roads.
“This approach is the first step in encouraging better behaviour, ensuring safety for all road users,” he detailed.