AI Camera System Identifies Thousands of Drivers for Mobile Phone Use and Seatbelt Violations

Thousands of motorists have been detected using their phones or not wearing seat belts following the deployment of a new advanced AI camera system. Over a five-week period in Greater Manchester, more than 3,200 individuals were identified either operating their mobile devices while driving or failing to wear seat belts. Images obtained by the ‘Heads Up’ camera system reveal drivers holding mobile phones in front of their faces or to their ears while operating a vehicle, sometimes with passengers—including children—present. Kate Green, Greater Manchester’s deputy mayor, expressed her hope that these images would serve as a “wake up call” for many. She commented that the images, released as part of a trial to assess the regional situation, “speak for themselves”. The system documented 812 drivers distracted by mobile phone use behind the wheel, along with 2,393 instances of seat belt non-compliance. In several instances, the cameras, which utilize a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and human reviewers to identify offences, also discovered adult and child passengers who were not securely fastened in their seats or were not wearing seat belts at all. Dame Sarah Storey, active travel commissioner for Greater Manchester, stated: “The results of the trial show the horrifying truth behind the number of drivers who still don’t consider how their behaviour behind the wheel of their vehicle can affect themselves, their passengers and other people using the roads. “Statistics show you are four times more likely to be involved in a collision if you use your phone while driving and twice as likely to die if you don’t wear a seatbelt.” These findings, released in support of Greater Manchester’s Vision Zero Strategy and Action Plan, which aims to eliminate road deaths and life-changing injuries by 2040, were collected across the city-region throughout September and October. No one has yet faced prosecution as a result of the trial.