Yahoo News How AI traffic cameras are exposing drivers on mobile phones or with no seatbelts on
Damning CCTV images of motorists using mobile phones and not wearing seatbelts while driving have been shared by transport bosses as part of the shocking findings from a recent trial.
Over a five-week period, a total of 3,205 drivers or passengers were caught violating traffic rules on Greater Manchester roads. Ultra-detailed, close-up images have been released to substantiate these figures, capturing those who put innocent lives at risk by flouting the law.
While no faces are shown, the photographs and statistics underscore the ongoing magnitude of the issue across the region. City leaders have stated that the images 'speak for themselves' and should serve as a 'wake-up call' to negligent motorists.
READ MORE: Trafford Centre shoppers fury over 'joke' parking prices for new 'premium' section
The M.E.N revealed in September new AI cameras that can detect whether drivers are on their mobile phone or not wearing a seat belt were being rolled out on highways across Greater Manchester.
The 'Heads Up' technology captures footage of passing vehicles, which is then run through artificial intelligence (AI) to detect whether drivers are breaking the law. It is then examined by a human to confirm that the software is correct, and that an offence has been committed.
A section of the Mancunian Way was covering, but transport bosses remained tight-lipped on the locations of other cameras. Now the results are in. TfGM said the trial has helped gather data to understand the scale of the issue, which will now be used to guide future education campaigns and enforcement.
During the deployment, the system recorded 812 drivers using mobile phones behind the wheel, and 2,393 incidents of seat belt non-compliance by drivers or passengers. Images show drivers holding mobile phones in front of their face and to their ear while behind the wheel, sometimes with passengers - including children - sat next to them.
TfGM said that in a number of cases, the cameras showed drivers and both adult and child passengers without seatbelts on. The findings, released during Brake Road Safety Week and in support of Greater Manchester's Vision Zero Strategy and Action Plan to eliminate road deaths and life-changing injury by 2040, will be used to inform campaigns to raise awareness of the consequences of not complying with the law, TfGM said.
A spokesperson said the use of AI as the first filter ensures privacy for the vast majority of law-abiding motorists. The period covered September 3 to October 24.
Any offences detected as part of the trial were passed to police for further action to be completed. All images showing no offences were deleted immediately by the software.
Kate Green, Greater Manchester's Deputy Mayor, said she wanted the images to act as a 'wake-up call'.
"Distractions such as using mobile phones while driving 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 suffering life-changing injuries," she said.
"This trial was launched so we could better understand the scale of this problem in Greater Manchester, and the images speak for themselves. They show drivers who are needlessly putting themselves and others – including young children – at risk, and sadly we know that being distracted for just a second, or not wearing a seat belt properly, can have devastating consequences.
"In Greater Manchester we are adopting the Vision Zero ambition to end all deaths and life-changing injuries, and we know much more needs to be done to make our roads safer, healthier and more sustainable for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists. I hope these images serve as a wake-up call for drivers and passengers on the importance of not driving distracted and seat belt compliance."
Figures show that in the last 10 years, nearly 10,000 people who live in, work in or visit Greater Manchester have been killed or seriously injured on our roads. Between 2018 and 2022, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists accounted for nearly two thirds of those killed or seriously injured, while drivers and passengers made up 34 per cent of casualties.
In 2022, there were 71 traffic fatalities or serious injuries every month in Greater Manchester.
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: "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." The camera system has been built by technology company Acusensus.
