2024-10-04 11:01:02
A camera that uses AI has been deployed to detect traffic offences in Plymouth.
A system is in place along Tavistock Road in Derriford, which uses Acusensus technology to capture images of passing vehicles in order to determine if passengers are wearing seatbelts or if the driver is using a mobile phone while behind the wheel, though once potential offences are detected, the footage is reviewed manually.
Drivers will then be sent either a warning letter or a notice of intended prosecution, and local police are hopeful the new systems will encourage better safety.
Adrian Leisk, head of road safety for Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “There have been several tragic collisions in Devon and Cornwall very recently where people have died or been seriously injured because they were not wearing a seatbelt.
“Similarly, we know that using a mobile phone while driving is highly dangerous and significantly increases the risk of a collision.
“We don’t want to catch people – we just want motorists to stay safe by wearing a seatbelt and not using their phones while driving.”
According to the local council, when the systems were deployed on the A30 and A38 in 2023, it appeared to have a positive effect on vehicle behaviour as the cameras detected a phone offence rate of just 0.31% and seat belt offence rate of 0.38%.
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