Belt up and listen
Mobile phone and seatbelt detector vans on UK roads
Detecting drivers committing mobile phone and seatbelt offences is receiving another boost.
Following successful trials, and their ongoing use in Australia, high tech is being used to detect offenders.
Trailer park
Acusensus has invested in three new detection trailers.
These are able to automatically detect mobile phone and seatbelt offences, helping local authorities catch offenders and raising the deterrent aspect fr road safety.
This technology was developed in Australia and patented as ‘Heads-up’ technology which analyses images captured through windscreens.
The new trailers will be delivered in early summer 2023.
Automated detectives
The technology has been optimised to flag up likely violations, using advanced AI software that analyses images in near real time.
When a possible case of distracted driving is identified by the software, anonymised images are sent to a secure cloud for later human review. This then validates if a potential offence has occurred and ensures the technology is safely overseen.
A further secondary check will validate this allowing for the creation of an offence file. This can then be used by the police for prosecution.
Success
The latest deployments follow successful pilots delivered with AECOM, National Highways and police forces across the UK.
Geoff Collins, Acusensus UK general manager, said: “The van-based safety checks on our roads have shown a small but significant number of drivers who are still irresponsibly putting themselves and other drivers at risk by using a phone while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt.
“The investment in these extra trailers means we can deploy our life-saving technology at specific locations for longer, getting a better idea of the scale of the problem, the number of repeat offenders and the types of drivers involved.
“This will help highway authorities and police forces to build a strategy to address these dangers, change behaviours and make our roads safer.”