Greater Manchester trialling cameras that automatically detect distracted drivers
Cameras which can automatically detect drivers using mobile phones behind the wheel or not wearing a seat belt are being rolled out.
Footage of passing vehicles is recorded by the technology which then uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect potential offending drivers.
Any frame containing evidence of an offence is then sent for a secondary human check to confirm, firm Acusensus behind the "Heads Up" technology, said.
The state-of-the-art technology will be used in a number of locations across Greater Manchester from 3 September as part of a nationwide trial.
Using a phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt are "key factors" in accidents Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said.
Research shows a driver is four times more likely to be in a crash if using a phone, and twice as likely to die in a crash if not wearing a seat belt.
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, as well as refining future safety campaigns.
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.”
It follows the ‘Touch.Screen’ campaign launched by Safer Roads Greater Manchester raising awareness of the dangers of drivers becoming distracted while using a mobile phone.
The campaign was supported by Calvin Buckley, whose partner Frankie Julia Hough and their unborn daughter Neeve died after a speeding driver, who was filming himself reaching speeds of 123mph on the M66 in Bury, crashed into her car which had stopped on the hard shoulder.
Calvin, from Oldham, said at the launch of Touch.Screen: “Two people lost their lives as a result of someone using their phone while driving, and to put it simply my life was destroyed.
“It’s become quite common for people to use their phone to check messages, send photos or change the music while driving.
“But all it takes is a split second to become distracted, and when you take your eyes off the road anything could happen. You could hit another car, a pedestrian, injure or kill yourself.”
Between 2014 and 2023 138 people killed or seriously injured following road traffic collisions in Greater Manchester where driver distraction was a contributing factor.
Of those deaths, 23 people lost their lives in a road traffic collision where the driver was using a mobile phone.
In 2020, one in four people killed in road traffic collisions in Greater Manchester was not wearing a seat belt.
Superintendent Gareth Parkin from Greater Manchester Police’s Special Operations said: “The road requires your full attention whatever your mode of transport. Distractions such as mobile phones and other handheld devices can cause you to lose your focus on the road and potentially miss an upcoming hazard.
“Using a mobile phone could result in a fine, ban, or worse still, put somebody’s life at risk.
“We know that wearing a seat belt is not just a life-saving habit, it is a legal requirement; that should be prioritised by every individual for their own well-being and the well-being of others on the road.
“We have seen some devastating incidents over the years which has significant impact on families, please don’t be the reason that prevents yourself or someone else from going home to their loved ones.”
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.
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