Motorists in Scotland are set to see AI road cameras rolled out that can detect whether drivers are wearing their seatbelts and are using their mobile phones.
Traffic cameras using artificial intelligence have been rolled out on Calder Road and Silverknowes Parkway in Edinburgh to crack down on dangerous drivers.
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The AI camera technology has already been used across the UK by police forces and motoring organisations to improve road safety.
When deployed, the technology can see inside vehicles to detect if drivers are breaking seatbelt or mobile phone offences.
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These two offences make up the “Fatal 5” offences alongside speeding, drink and drug driving, and careless and inconsiderate driving.
Transport Scotland announced earlier this year that it would be deploying the technology for the first time to detect distracted drivers.
Data from the service shows that almost one in four road users are killed on Scotland’s roads were not wearing a seatbelt.
When looking at a national level, around 4.7 million daily vehicle journeys are made, with 169,000 drivers estimated to avoid using their seatbelt, while more than 28,000 may use their handheld device.
Stephen Jenkinson, transport convener at Edinburgh Council, explained that the rollout of the technology is “not a new enforcement programme”.
He said: “The survey uses AI-assisted technology, with images anonymised and any potential offences subject to human review.
“The findings will help shape future road safety education and enforcement across Scotland,” Edinburgh News reported.
It is believed that if any serious offences are detected, the footage can be sent to Police Scotland for further monitoring.
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Transport Scotland’s original announcement stated that the rollout would consist of 12 different locations across Scotland over the next six months.
The trial, which is the largest of its kind across the UK, will focus on various roads, including urban, rural, trunk and local roads.
Then-Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the trial would give the “most comprehensive picture yet” on the scale of these driving offences.
She pointed to data from Transport Scotland that emphasised the issue of people using their mobile phones and not wearing their seatbelts and how that was having a serious impact on road safety.
The former SNP MSP for Linlithgow said the Scottish Government maintained its pledge to have some of the safest roads in the world by the end of the decade.
Dr Jamie Uff, technical director at AECOM, the company analysing the data from the trial, added: “Distracted driving and failure to wear seat belts continue to kill or seriously injure far too many people on our roads every year, despite high awareness of the risk of these behaviours.
“This programme will make detection straightforward and will provide valuable insight on the current level of road user behaviour.
“We hope to see this technology help raise awareness and improve road safety in Scotland.”
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