The AI camera on Tavistock Road (Picture: Louie Rowe)
Tavistock Road, in Plymouth, is the home of a new AI Traffic enforcement camera, used to detect a range of motoring offences.
The camera, located south of the junction with Runway Road on the A386, captures images of passing vehicles to identify whether or not passengers are wearing seatbelts and whether the driver is using a mobile phone at the wheel.
The Acusensus system was launched on a trial basis in Cornwall last year and detected 117 mobile phone offences and 180 seat belt offences in the first 72 hours of operation.
Although the cameras use AI to detect potential offences, these images are subsequently reviewed by a human. If an offence has been correctly identified, the driver will either be sent a warning letter or a notice of intended prosecution, depending on the severity.
Last year, Vision Zero South West conducted a 15-day trial of a larger, vehicle-based system from Acusensus which detected 590 seatbelt and 45 mobile phone offences across various roads in both Devon and Cornwall.
The new free-standing system can be easily moved and can be deployed at various locations across Devon and Cornwall, providing 24/7 monitoring.
Image of a driver on their mobile phone, captured on an Acusensus camera. (Image: Vision Zero)
Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon and Cornwall Police, said “There have been several tragic collisions in Devon and Cornwall very recently where people have died or been seriously injured because they were not wearing a seatbelt.
“Similarly, we know that using a mobile phone while driving is highly dangerous and significantly increases the risk of a collision.
“We don’t want to catch people – we just want motorists to stay safe by wearing a seatbelt and not using their phones while driving. But if you are caught, you can expect either a driver education course or a fine and penalty points.”
The unit has already been vandalized. (Image: Louie Rowe)
During their deployment on the A30 and A38 in 2023, the cameras detected a phone offence rate of 0.31% and a seatbelt offence rate of 0.38%. The first set of three deployments in 2024 saw a dramatic reduction in both figures, with seat belt offence rates falling to 0.22% and mobile phone offence rates dropping to 0.08% – the lowest rate ever detected using this technology.
Acusensus camera on the A38 in Cornwall (Image: Acusensus)
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “Last year 48 people were killed and 738 were seriously injured on Devon and Cornwall’s roads – and that is why road safety is one of four priorities in my Police and Crime Plan.
“We know distracted driving is a common cause of collisions, which is exactly why it is illegal to use a mobile phone while driving.
“We also know that wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death for drivers in a road collision by around 50% – yet almost a third of the people who died in UK car collisions in 2021 were not wearing a seat belt, the highest level recorded since recent records began.
“By embracing new technology such as the Acusensus ‘Heads Up’ system, we have the opportunity to improve compliance with these laws and consequently make our roads safer for everyone.”
It’s unclear how long the camera will stay at this location in Plymouth.