News & Features

Trial of New Traffic Camera Technology Gains Support

Posted in General News on Wednesday, March 27th, 2024

A trail of new traffic camera technology that was first launched in 2021 by National Highways has gained the support of 10 more police forces from across the UK. These new cameras can detect if a motorist is not wearing a seatbelt or if a driver is using a mobile phone. This data is then processed and sent to the police. The trial has now gained the support of Durham, Greater Manchester Police, Humberside, Staffordshire, West Mercia, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Norfolk, Thames Valley Police and Sussex.  

Drivers who break the law can be fined up to £500 for not wearing a seatbelt in addition to receiving penalty points. Anyone caught using a mobile phone while driving could face a fine of up to £1,000 and six penalty points on their licence. The trial of these cameras will run until March 2025 and although it hasn’t been scheduled, there are plans for them to be fitted to overhead gantries. Matt Staton, Head of National Road User Safety Delivery at National Highways said: “We know that distracted driving and not wearing seatbelts were key factors in a high number of incidents that resulted in people being killed or seriously injured. Working with our police partners we want to reduce such dangerous driving and reduce the risks posed to both the drivers and other people. We believe that using technology like this will make people seriously consider their driving behaviour. We will continue to invest in technology that could help make sure everyone using our roads gets home safe and well.” 

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