Council proposes £600,000 bid for AI cameras

It can detect drivers not wearing a seat belt or using a phone

Devon County Council has announced it's going to make a bid to use money received for road safety funding to put towards an AI camera.

In March, the authority was awarded more than £5 million from the Department for Transport's Safer Roads Fund for safety improvements between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe on the A361. It was one of 17 roads across the country designated as 'high risk'.

Following evidence gathered during an AI camera pilot, the council is now preparing a business case to use £600,000 on AI camera technology over the next three years.

Nearly 2,000 potential offences were detected over a four week period. This included more than 1,300 incidents where a seat belt wasn't work and nearly 500 mobile phone distraction offences.

These are now being reviewed by officers from the partnership between Devon and Cornwall Police and Devon County Council.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management and Vice Chair of Vision Zero South West said:

“The award we received in March will enable us to help make one of the county’s busiest routes safer.

“I’m particularly keen on the use of the latest technology and innovation to target drivers with unsafe driving habits.

“The recent pilot provided a snapshot of just how many drivers forget to put on their seatbelt and are distracted by mobile phones when driving.

“Armed with this evidence we will make the case to use part of this funding, likely to be in the region of £600,000, to deliver a three-year AI camera trial.

“Through using state-of-the-art technology, we want to reduce these dangerous driving practices and make our roads safer for everyone.”

Councillor Hughes added that they were also looking closely at other improvements along the route such as speed management, and junction upgrades as well as better pedestrian facilities.

Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon & Cornwall Police, said: “There have been several tragic collisions in Devon & Cornwall very recently where people have died or been seriously injured because they were not wearing a seatbelt.

“Drivers and passengers who wear their seatbelts are 45 per cent less likely to die and 50 per cent less likely to be injured in a crash.

“Similarly, we know that using a mobile phone while driving is highly dangerous and you are four times more likely to be in a crash.

“Nationally in 2022, there were 22 people killed and 674 injured in collisions where a driver using a mobile phone was considered to be a contributory factor.

“We don’t use these camera systems to catch people – we use them to keep motorists safe by encouraging them to wear a seatbelt and not use their phones while driving. But if you are caught, you can expect either a driver education course or a fine and penalty points.”