Image: Acusensus
The UK manager of Acusensus, Geoff Collins, says he is “baffled” by the number of drivers being caught not wearing a seatbelt by the firm’s AI-based camera system.
The ‘Heads Up’ technology uses specially equipped cameras to see through the windscreen and into the vehicle, identifying cases where people are not wearing a seatbelt or using a mobile phone.
Figures released by Safer Roads Greater Manchester show that, in just one location, nearly 2,400 drivers were detected not wearing a seatbelt in just 51 days.
Geoff Collins said: “When I first started delivering this solution to monitor our roads, I really thought that mobile phone use while driving would be the thing we picked up.
“However, again and again we’re seeing drivers needlessly putting themselves at risk by not wearing a seatbelt, when it is literally a life saver.
“As I’ve said before, some people seem to think that those who break seatbelt rules and are seriously injured or killed in a subsequent crash aren’t doing any harm, other than to themselves.
“However, think of the emotional cost for all those having to deal with fatal and serious road injuries – from families, friends and colleagues to other road users involved and the emergency services who have had to deal with the aftermath.
“I’m baffled why people would put themselves at risk, but they do, and we need to use every tool we have to save them from themselves?”
When a possible case of seatbelt misuse or distracted driving is identified by the ‘Heads Up’ software, anonymised images are sent to a secure cloud for review to validate whether a potential offence has occurred.
A secondary check confirms this and then allows for the creation of an offence file, which can be used by the police for prosecution.
Acusensus has worked with almost half of all UK police forces and the firm says many more are showing a keen interest in the technology.
Adding to Philip’s worthy comment, I’ve noticed consistently that drivers who don’t wear their belt, are the ones who are most likely to need it! Their driving is generally below par across the board due to arrogance and ignorance.
Hugh Jones, South Wirral
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As a driver assessor working for industry, sometime speed awareness course presenter and previously a firefighter, the common thread always seems to have been van drivers, who complain that they are ‘in and out of the van’ constantly and find it a nuisance to ‘keep putting’ the seat belt on. When challenged, few can ever show that they are ‘in and out of the van’ more than half a dozen times a day, but their perception is higher. Home delivery drivers obviously are ‘in and out’ more frequently, but then tend to drive at inappropriate speeds in order to complete their usually excessive delivery schedule, which puts them at greater risk.
Motorists of more mature years seem to take the view that they don’t drive fast or far enough for a seatbelt to be worthwhile and often point to having driven less safe cars in the days before belts were compulsory.
As a firefighter, times without number I’ve attended fatal and SI collisions and found the driver’s seat belt clipped in but not worn.
It just seems that very few people have any perception of what can happen, even at low speeds, when unbelted.
Philip Hastings, Shaftesbury
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