Police catch 300 drivers breaking law in three days using AI system

The scheme was first rolled out in September 2022, trialled to catch drivers breaking the law behind the wheel

Police in Devon and Cornwall detected almost 300 drivers breaking the law across just three days using a new artificial intelligence (AI) system.

Acusensus has been installed in a vehicle equipped with multiple cameras, and helps determine if any laws were broken by processing images of passing motorists.

Potential breaches - such as driving while using mobile phones, not wearing seatbelts and speeding - are then sent to a human being for review.

Though the system uses AI, all images are manually assessed by the force (AECOM)

Where an offence is identified, the driver is issued with a warning letter or a notice of intention to prosecute depending on the circumstance and severity.

The scheme was first introduced in September 2022 and has now been rolled out on the A30 near Launceston, Cornwall, catching a total of 117 mobile phone offences and 180 seat belt offences in just 72 hours.

In 2020, a national road safety survey concluded that 55 per cent of the 66,000 respondents reported that they had witnessed road traffic offences including using a mobile phone or failing to wear a seatbelt on a daily basis. A further 81 per cent agreed that these offences necessitated more enforcement from police.

Earlier this month, in just six hours of monitoring, more than 1,800 drivers were caught speeding on a 40mph stretch of road in Torbay, Devon. The top speed detected was 75mph.

“When we trialled this technology last year, we were disappointed by the number of drivers detected not wearing seatbelts - particularly as we continue to see serious and fatal collisions involving people who were not wearing seatbelts, a third of all fatal collisions in 2021 involved someone who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt”, said Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon & Cornwall Police.

“The early results from our latest deployment show that there is also a problem with mobile phone use behind the wheel, which is both dangerous and illegal.

“While we know the majority of drivers in Devon and Cornwall are safe, respectful and conscientious motorists, sadly there is a minority who are still putting people’s lives at risk.

“We are employing this new technology to send a clear message to anyone who continues to use their phone behind the wheel – you will get caught.

“Whether it’s by the Acusensus cameras, a passing officer or on video footage submitted through Op Snap, the result will be the same and you will end up with a hefty fine and six penalty points – which could be enough to cost some drivers their license and livelihood.

“It’s just not worth it. Before you start your journey, put your phone away in the glovebox or somewhere you cannot reach it so the temptation is not there. If it’s an emergency, make sure you pull in and stop the car before making that call.”