UK Police Trial AI System Designed to Report Drivers Using Their Phones!

Driving while using your phone is not just a really stupid idea, but it’s also a crime. And following the closure of a prior loophole earlier this year that could potentially allow people to get away with it, police in the UK are now clearly keen to really start clamping down on motorists who think it’s a good idea to divide their attention between the road and their latest Facebook notification (other social media platforms are available)!

The problem for police, of course, is that they have to catch people in the act. – Following a report via the BBC, however, a new AI camera system is being trialled that will look to automatically detect and report people it thinks have been using their phone behind the wheel!

UK Police Trial New AI Camera System

The new AI camera is currently being rolled out in Devon and Cornwall and has been designed to detect and take pictures of what it believes to be a driver using a phone while operating a vehicle. The AI will then forward the image to a human who will make a final judgment as to whether the camera has actually worked or not. – It doesn’t end there, however, as if the human element agrees with the AI that the driver of a vehicle was indeed using a phone, then they can expect either an official warning or possibly even a notice of prosecution to shortly arrive in the post!

Additionally, it’s also understood that the driver might face additional consequences should they be speeding or not wearing their seat belt! – Put simply, this new system means business and presuming it’s a success, we can surely expect to see this introduced across other regions in the future.

For the moment though, if you’re planning a trip down to Devon or Cornwall, keep the phone down. Just because the police might not be watching, that doesn’t mean that an AI isn’t!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!