An advanced AI-assisted speed camera is already working in the UK – thanks to it, it appears that drivers are increasingly using their phones behind the wheel.
Order on Polish roads is already guarded by more than 500 speed cameras, and the leader in the category for the largest coverage is the Mazowieckie Voivodeship. For many drivers, this is an inconvenience, and soon they may have more reasons to be dissatisfied, as more and more AI-assisted cameras appear on European roads. It is particularly effective in Great Britain, where, within 72 hours of its launch, nearly 300 drivers have been arrested not complying with the law.
A policeman in line for endangered professions?
Not only writers, copywriters, teachers and judges may fear that they will be replaced by artificial intelligence in the near future. Although the possibility of replacing the police with artificial intelligence is currently a song from the future and an unrealistic scenario, the technology is already supporting the traffic police in monitoring the behavior of drivers, and even relieving them from patrolling the roads.
On the A30 near Launceston, Cornwall, an AI camera has been watching for several days, acting as an advanced speed camera. The device uses a combination of high-speed cameras, an infrared flash and a filter system to capture clear images of passing cars. Each of the images captured is analyzed by artificial intelligence in order to look for potential irregularities. Those identified by AI as a crime and misdemeanor are then submitted for human verification after the photo is anonymous.
More and more people use their smartphones while driving
It took the AI only 3 days to catch 117 offenses related to using mobile phones while driving and 180 offenses related to not wearing a seat belt. A driver who is caught can expect a warning letter with a description of the offense or an order to prosecute in very serious cases.
Last year, Vision Zero South West ran a 15-day test on a similar stretch of road, revealing that 590 people rated their seat belt buckles high, and 45 people were caught using a smartphone while driving. The local police are therefore very concerned about the growing disregard for the ban on using the phone behind the wheel, especially on the roads of said county, where as many as 738 people were seriously injured in road accidents in 2022.
In Poland, since January last year, a fine of PLN 500 has been imposed for this offense, and since September, drivers must expect an additional penalty of up to 12 penalty points. Perhaps Polish police officers should also think about implementing such a solution, because in 2022 alone, their number could reach 52,307 cases Phone use while driving, and this poses a direct threat to other road users, not only through distraction, but also the longer reaction time to needing to brake immediately – these seconds can cost lives.
Stock photo from Depositphotos
