A NEW AI camera trial has caught out 19,000 UK drivers in just a fortnight.
Motorists have been urged to “belt up and switch off their phones”, with the footage described as “frankly shocking.”
AI-powered cameras that can record driving offences have been trialled in the West Midlands in a move to catch out dangerous drivers.
The devices are able to detect motorists not wearing a seatbelt or using a phone, then take a photograph to be analysed by human operators.
Earlier this year, Ladywood and Fallings Park fire stations, located in Birmingham and Wolverhampton respectively, were fitted with advanced AI camera systems to test the new technology.
In just two weeks, 11,144 potential non-use of seat belt offences and 1,163 potential mobile phone use offences were captured in Ladywood, alongside 6,081 seat belt and 757 phone offences in Fallings Park.
The cameras also captured severe safety violations, including a front-seat passenger holding an unrestrained child on their lap, as well as dozens of children travelling without age-appropriate car seats.
The trial was funded by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) alongside the police and fire service.
Around 2,000 motorists are given penalty points for driving with their phones in the West Midlands.
Due to the fact the scheme was a trial at this stage, there were no official follow-ups to the law violations.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The number of people risking their own lives and the lives of others, including some very young children, is frankly shocking and far higher than we expected when setting up the trial.
“The law is clear on seatbelts and mobile phones. I’ve met families who have lost loved ones to reckless driving,They never recover from these tragedies; the grief is always there. People need to stop doing this, it is simply not worth the risk.
“As we review these results with our Road Safety Partnership and look to next steps, I promise to use every resource available, including new technology like this, to make our streets safer for everyone.”
Simon Foster, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and chair of the road safety partnership board called the findings “deeply concerning”.
He continued: “We are closely evaluating these trial results to consider how this advanced AI technology can be deployed for future police enforcement.
“We cannot tolerate reckless behaviour that puts lives at risk, and we will use every effective tool at our disposal to ensure our roads are safer.”