Drivers could get slapped with a massive fine if new AI cameras catch them using their phones at the wheel. The high-tech gadgets, touted to crackdown on motorists not following rules, are geared up not just to spot phone use – but also to catch those who ditch the seatbelt.
The futuristic tech will see National Highways and a squad of nine police forces put the cameras to the test from next week through to March 2025 in a trial that could change the game, while clamping down on behaviour that could potentially put lives at risk. Patrolling the roads of Durham, Greater Manchester, Humberside, Staffordshire, West Mercia, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Norfolk, Thames Valley and Sussex, these cameras mean business.
Crafted to snap footage of moving vehicles, they’re all about catching drivers red-handed on their mobile or passengers skimping on safety measures. A couple of snaps are all it takes, to potentially land someone in hot water.
(Image: National Highways)
Snapped and flagged? Then you’re under the cops’ scrutiny to see if you’ve been a road rule rebel. And if they catch you thumb-deep in phone usage or skirting the seatbelt law, you’re staring down the barrel of a £1,000 fine alongside six harsh points on your licence, reports Wales Online.
Rod Dennis from the RAC weighed in, saying: “Despite the penalties for using a handheld phone having doubled to six penalty points and a £200 fine seven years ago it’s clear far too many drivers are still prepared to put lives at risk by engaging in this dangerous practice. We suspect a major reason for this is a lack of enforcement, meaning many drivers have no fear of being caught.”
(Image: Getty Images)
“AI-equipped cameras that can automatically detect drivers breaking the law offer a chance for the tide to be turned. The police can’t be everywhere all of the time, so it makes sense that forces look to the best available technology that can help them catch drivers acting illegally.”
Safer Roads Greater Manchester stated that data from the cameras will be used to research how many motorists flout the laws. Meanwhile, the Department for Transport estimates a staggering 400,000 UK drivers each year break the law by using mobile phones at the wheel.