World-first cameras in Australia that use artificial intelligence to detect drivers using their mobile phones have caught thousands of offenders and seem to be deterring the risky behaviour.
New South Wales, the first state to use them, began issuing fines based on the technology in March 2020. Since then, the cameras have checked more than 130 million vehicles and spotted more than 270,000 drivers using their phones.
The proportion of drivers seen using their phones has dropped from one in 82 during a pilot study in 2019 to one in 478 now.
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鈥淲e know that mobile phone detection cameras are working and people are getting the message not to use their phone illegally, as we have seen a significant drop in offences,鈥� says Tara McCarthy at Transport for NSW, the government body that operates the cameras.
This could improve road safety, since research shows that taking your eyes off the road for longer than 2 seconds 鈥� the time it takes to read a message on your phone 鈥� doubles the risk of a crash, says McCarthy.
Modelling by researchers at Monash University in Melbourne estimates that the cameras could prevent in New South Wales.
New South Wales has been gradually rolling out the cameras in fixed, undisclosed locations and on mobile units since 2019, and plans to have 45 operating by mid 2022. Several other Australian states and territories have also installed mobile phone detection cameras or intend to, and the Netherlands became the first European country to start using them in November 2020.
The cameras work by taking high-definition images of the front of each passing vehicle. AI software analyses the images to identify drivers using a handheld mobile phone. Officers review images that are flagged as potentially showing offences before issuing penalties, which can include a fine of AUS$352 and the loss of licence points.
The technology was developed by Melbourne-based engineer , whose friend was killed while cycling by a driver who was texting.
at the University of New South Wales says it is great news if the cameras are preventing risky driving, although other factors may be contributing to the declining use of handsets, like more cars having systems that allow drivers to use their phones through touchscreens or voice activation.
Hands-free technology is better than fiddling with phones, but it can also be distracting, says at the University of Melbourne. 鈥淧eople think that having a conversation through their car Bluetooth is the same as having a conversation with a passenger, but it鈥檚 different because passengers often moderate their speech depending on the driving load.鈥� For example, passengers may pause the conversation while the driver is navigating a tricky intersection, he says.
A recent found that drivers鈥� reaction times increased by more than 30 per cent while using their phones with voice-activated systems and by more than 50 per cent while operating them through vehicle touchscreens, compared with not using a phone.
One way to make cars safer is to fit them with 鈥渨orkload manager鈥� software that senses when a driver is in a cognitively demanding situation, like turning at an intersection, then delays incoming calls and messages, says Regan. This is already available in some high-end cars.
Another is to install driver-facing cameras that detect when a driver looks away from the road for more than a few seconds and issues a warning, says Regan. The European Union .
