Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in North West England is testing the use of cameras that automatically detect distracted drivers. The regional trial will be used to automatically detect drivers who are using a mobile phone or not wearing a seat belt, as well as creating a traffic survey to understand how many drivers still choose to break the law.
The ‘Heads Up’ technology was designed by Acusensus. Using AI, it captures footage of passing vehicles and processes the images using artificial intelligence (AI). If footage appears to contain evidence of an offense, a secondary human check will be ordered.
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 behavior, ensuring safety for all road users.”
TfGM states that drivers were four times more likely to be in a crash if they use their phone while driving and twice as likely to die in a crash if they do not wear a seat belt.
“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 utilizing 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,” said Peter Boulton, TfGM’s Network Director for Highways.
The information gathered by Heads Up will be used to help create future road safety campaigns that aim to improve compliance with mobile phone and seat belt use.