NEW AI cameras are being trialled to spot drunk and drug drivers – similar to those that monitor motorists not wearing their seatbelt or using their mobile phone.
The new roadside tech, which is currently being trialled in an area of the country, works by analysing images of passing cars for signs of driver impairment.
It then immediately alerts nearby police officers if it detects a potential impairment, who can then stop the vehicle and conduct a roadside test.
According to AutoExpress, Devon & Cornwall Police are leading the trial throughout December as part of their Vision Zero South West campaign.
Superintendent Simon Jenkinson said: “We have an expansive road network of nearly 14,000 miles in Devon and Cornwall, meaning our officers cannot be everywhere.
“Camera technology helps us to target operational resources in an effective way, where intelligence informs our deployment.
“We will be deploying the cameras at various locations throughout the region in December and working closely with Acusensus to make sure this system is as accurate and effective as possible.”
The cameras are developed by Australian tech firm Acusensus, which was created after a friend of the founder died in a road accident caused by a distracted driver.
However, the firm’s UK boss Geoff Collins wanted to emphasise that the AI is not making definitive judgments, but rather replicating a seasoned officer’s intuition.
He said: “A police officer at the side of the road, if they’ve worked in road traffic for long enough, will probably watch a vehicle drive by and think ‘I’m not happy with that one’.
“It’ll be all kinds of things about how they’re driving, the style of their driving, things that we’re noticing, and we’re trying to replicate the policeman’s nose.
“I would be in the queue to say you shouldn’t have all of these things monitored everywhere, all of the time, because that is overly controlling.
“But I don’t think there’s any harm in the perception that you could be monitored.
“If people say ‘it’s big brother’ and ‘we should be able to make our own decisions’, I strongly disagree when it comes to two tons of metal and when my kids might be in the car coming in the other direction.
“There are rules of the road, and there’s a responsibility that comes with a car.”
He also acknowledged concerns about over-reliance on AI camera technology, but defended its use given the decline in road policing officers.
He added: “There’s a lot of camera technology across the UK which is used to identify speeding, and speeding is widely understood to be a significant contributory factor towards casualties.
“But it could be argued that disproportionately an awful lot of the effort goes into that one factor, when we talk about five fatal driving behaviours.
“Every single roads policing officer I’ve ever spoken to would like there to be a larger, more capable and involved road policing operation, but it’s not their decision to cut back the number of roads policing officers on the network.
“Yet the numbers of these specialist officers are being cut, and this is a pragmatic approach to maximise the capacity forces do have, when they’ve only a handful of traffic officers who can’t do everything and be everywhere.”
Last month, we revealed how AI cameras were being used to catch drivers on their phones or not wearing seatbelts – with thousands of the stealth traps popping up nation-wide.
The smart tech cameras are mounted on vehicles or roadside bollards and take secret snaps inside motorists’ cars.
The pictures reveal drivers committing various offences, including calling and texting on their phones – while one is seen with the passenger seatbelt illegally clicked into the driver’s seat.
The new “Heads Up” cameras, also made by tech company Acusensus, were trialled over a five-week period in Greater Manchester.
During that time, 3,200 people were caught on their phones or without their seatbelts on.
Nine police forces across the UK have also trialled the innovative technology.
These include Durham, Humberside, Staffordshire, West Mercia, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Norfolk, Thames Valley Police and Sussex.
Elsewhere, a group of scientists are on their way to creating the world’s most perfect car – with more help from AI.
By poring over the data of 8,000 3D car designs and their aerodynamics, the tech experts are many steps closer to designing a more efficient and eco-friendly motor.
