By Lauren Fix
Technology is great! Except when it’s used to control and monitor everything we do. And now new AI speed cameras are being installed on roads that will be able to spy inside our cars. These new cameras are set to be rolled out across the U.S. to catch motorists using mobile phones at the wheel or failing to wear seatbelts. This invasive technology is being rolled out in the UK first and will make its way across other countries not soon after.
The new AI technology is enabling police not only to catch speeding drivers but also clampdown on motorists distracted by their phones even if they have them on their lap while at the wheel.
The move has raised privacy concerns before these AI cameras become a substitute for traffic officers stopping suspect motorists who might also be drunk driving or speeding, and issue traffic violations. You will get a ticket or potential arrest for an offense by simply snapping images. This sounds like a nightmare at best.
At least a quarter of the 44 police forces in England, Wales, and Scotland are already deploying cameras which can catch motorists using mobile phones at the wheel. If caught, drivers holding a handheld device behind the wheel can face six penalty points and a £200 fine ($250), increasing to £1,000 ($1300) and a driving ban if taken to court.
Eleven police forces have deployed roadside cameras, developed by Acusensus, which capture images of vehicles as they pass. One is from a shallow angle to see a phone at the driver’s ear, and a second taken from a steep angle detects the device if it is on their lap.
AI software analyses all the images and flags those where the driver is suspected of holding a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt. Encrypted what-are-called “violation packages” are sent to police to decide whether to prosecute.
To counter privacy concerns, a police officer reviews anonymized pictures without any identifying features such as number plate, passengers or make of the vehicle. If it goes to prosecution, the images are then matched to the registration details.
New hi-tech speed cameras which can catch motorists using mobile phones as well are also being deployed by police. The Vector-SR cameras can track two-way traffic and use radar which means there is no need for road markings on the road. The infrared low light technology means drivers will not necessarily know if they have been caught. Pictures can also be checked to prove you are speeding or using a cell phone or not wearing seatbelts.
This is intrusive and creepy surveillance that takes away your privacy and your rights in the USA and many other countries. Research by the Department for Transport suggests that 150,000 to 400,000 drivers use their cell phones while driving.
The unproven AI-powered video analytics should not be used to monitor and potentially criminalize drivers. This kind of surveillance treats every driver as a potential suspect and is a threat to everyone’s privacy. Governments believe that using technology like this will make people seriously consider their driving behavior.
Here in the U.S., states can now access billions in funding for speed cameras under Biden’s infrastructure law. This is the same infrastructure bill that brings us the kill switches we’ve been covering. 15.6 billion dollars being allocated to highway and roadway safety is going toward installing automated traffic enforcement, such as speed and red-light cameras as well as automated traffic enforcement.
These cameras are being sold to the public as something they are not. The Transportation Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy stated that, QUOTE “Speeding increases both the frequency and severity of crashes, yet it is both persistent and largely accepted as the norm amongst the traveling public… Automated speed enforcement, if deployed equitably and applied appropriately to roads with the greatest risk of harm due to speeding, can provide significant safety benefits and save lives.” END QUOTE
This automated traffic enforcement can rake in millions of dollars in ticket revenue for local communities but has spurred backlash. Motorists often complain speed cameras can be inaccurate, but are almost impossible to dispute in court. Eight states specifically forbid the use of speed cameras, while another 24 have no specific legislation to support their use.
Ultimately, states and localities — not the federal government — will decide how the 15 billion dollars in federal funding can best be used to improve road safety. So now is the time to tell you state, county, city, and town elected officials that you value your privacy and do not want these invasive cameras installed.
Lauren Fix, The Car Coach®, is a nationally recognized automotive expert, analyst, author, and television host. A trusted car expert, Lauren provides an insider’s perspective on a wide range of automotive topics and aspects, energy, industry, consumer news, and safety issues.
Lauren is the CEO of Automotive Aspects and the Editor-in-Chief of Car Coach Reports, a global automotive news outlet. She is an automotive contributor to national and local television news shows, including Fox News, Fox Business, CNN International, The Weather Channel, Inside Edition, Local Now News, Community Digital News, and more. Lauren also co-hosts a regular show on ABC.com with Paul Brian called “His Turn – Her Turn” and hosts regular radio segments on USA Radio – DayBreak.
Lauren is honored to be inducted into the Women’s Transportation Hall of Fame and a Board Member of the Buffalo Motorcar Museum and Juror / President for the North American Car, Utility & Truck of the Year Awards.
Check her out on Twitter and Instagram @LaurenFix.
