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Shocking images released by transport chiefs show the detail roadside cameras are now able to capture inside a vehicle. Transport for Greater Manchester has published the startling clear images which have been captured by the‘Heads Up’ camera system, developed by Acusensus, show drivers holding mobile phones in front of their face, to their ear while behind the wheel, sometimes with passengers – including children – next to them. In several cases the cameras also found drivers, adult and child passengers not being securely fastened in their seats or not wearing seat belts at all.
Credit: Acusensus/AECOM More than 3,200 people have been caught using mobile phones while driving or not wearing seat belts as part of a trial of state-of-the-art cameras in Greater Manchester. The ‘Heads Up’ cameras capture images of passing vehicles which are initially processed using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect drivers who are potentially breaking the law and putting themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk. Dame Sarah Storey (far left) and Kate Green (second from right) with Paula Allen and Calvin Buckley, who have lost loved ones as a result of dangerous driving The use of AI as the first filter is said to ensure privacy for the vast majority of law-abiding motorists, while also checking hundreds of thousands of vehicles over an intermittent period between 3rd September and 24th October, something which would likely take a human reviewer several months to complete.
Images which contain evidence of an offence go through a two-stage human check to confirm that an offence has taken place. READ MORE: AI roadside cameras to be trialled to detect drivers using phones Man taken to hospital after police tape off town centre road Waking up to a stunning winter wonderland in Bolton as snow falls overnight Any offences detected as part of the trial can be passed to the police for them to consider further action. However, if no offence has been committed, the image is immediately deleted by the software and no further action will be taken.
The trial, carried out by AECOM and Acusensus on behalf of Safer Roads Greater Manchester, was held across the region throughout September and October to gather data to understand the scale of the issue to inform future education campaigns and enforcement. As it stands, no offenders have yet been prosecuted from this trial. During the deployment the Heads Up system recorded 812 drivers distracted by using mobile phones behind the wheel, and 2,393 incidents of seat belt non-compliance by drivers or passengers.
Kate Green, Greater Manchester's Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “Distractions such as using mobile phones while driving and not wearing seat belts are key factors in a number of road traffic collisions on our roads which have resulted in people being killed or suffering life-changing injuries. “This trial was launched so we could better understand the scale of this problem in Greater Manchester, and the images speak for themselves. They show drivers who are needlessly putting themselves and others – including young children – at risk, and sadly we know that being distracted for just a second, or not wearing a seat belt properly, can have devastating consequences.
“In Greater Manchester we are adopting the Vision Zero ambition to end all deaths and life-changing injuries, and we know much more needs to be done to make our roads safer, healthier and more sustainable for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and motorists. In the last ten years nearly 10,000 people who live in, work in or visit Greater Manchester have been killed or seriously injured on our roads. Between 2018 and 2022, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists accounted for nearly two thirds of those killed or seriously injured, while drivers and passengers made up 34% of casualties.
In 2022, there were 71 traffic fatalities or serious injuries every month in Greater Manchester. In total 64 people were killed over the course of the year – 25 of them pedestrians – and each of these deaths was preventable. Alongside the devastating pain, grief and suffering which results from road traffic collisions, they place additional strain on the emergency services.
Victims are often left unable to work or facing medical costs. Geoff Collins, General Manager at Acusensus, said: "This trial shows that some drivers on Greater Manchester's roads are engaged in dangerous driving behaviours that put themselves and other road users at risk. We can now use this knowledge to intelligently address the problems, making each journey safer for everyone.
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