AI cameras could be introduced on A361

Devon County Council (DCC) is proposing to use part of a recent £5 million road safety funding award to deploy AI camera technology on the A361 in North Devon, aiming to reduce dangerous driving and save lives.

The council received £5,040,000 from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Safer Roads Fund in March to improve safety on the A361 between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe. 

The route was flagged as ‘high risk,’ and Devon received the largest award in the latest funding round.

Following a successful AI camera pilot, which detected 1,799 potential offences over four weeks, DCC is preparing a business case to allocate approximately £600,000 of the funding towards a three-year AI camera trial. 

During the pilot on the A361 1799 potential offences were detected over a four-week period.

These included 1363 instances where a seat belt wasn’t worn and 436 mobile phone distraction offences.

Each of these offences is being reviewed by officers at Vision Zero South West, a partnership which includes Devon and Cornwall Police and Devon County Council and aims to reduce serious and fatal collisions on the roads.

The AI cameras work by capturing footage of passing vehicles and using artificial intelligence to detect driving offences such as not wearing a seatbelt or using a mobile phone. 

The system takes two images: the first determines if the driver is wearing a seatbelt or holding a phone, and the second checks if a device is being used for messaging.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, DCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management and Vice Chair of Vision Zero South West, said the technology will target unsafe driving habits to make roads safer. “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.”

Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon & Cornwall Police, stressed the dangers of not wearing seatbelts and using mobile phones while driving, noting that offenders could face penalties such as fines and points on their licence.

He 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.

He continued: “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.”

Alongside AI camera technology, DCC is also considering other safety improvements along the A361, including speed management, and junction upgrades as well as better pedestrian facilities.