State-of-the-art cameras which can automatically detect drivers using mobile phones behind the wheel or not wearing a seat belt are being trialled in Greater Manchester.
The ‘Heads Up’ technology from Acusensus captures footage of passing vehicles before the images are processed using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect potential offending drivers.
Footage deemed to contain evidence of an offence is sent for a secondary human check to confirm that an offence has occurred. If an image shows that no offence has been committed, it is deleted immediately by the software and no further action will be taken.
The trial will be used by Safer Roads Greater Manchester as a traffic survey to understand how many drivers still choose to break the law. This data will be used to refine future road safety campaigns aiming to improve compliance of mobile phone and seat belt use by drivers.
Peter Boulton, TfGM’s 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 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: “Using our ‘Heads Up’ technology will allow Safer Roads Greater Manchester to better understand the levels of distracted driving and seat belt wearing on their roads.
“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.”
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