{"id":64611,"date":"2024-10-24T10:14:45","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T09:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=64611"},"modified":"2025-01-09T09:42:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T09:42:57","slug":"ai-cameras-could-be-used-to-help-save-lives-on-a-north-devon-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/ai-cameras-could-be-used-to-help-save-lives-on-a-north-devon-road\/","title":{"rendered":"AI cameras could be used to help save lives on a North Devon road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We’re proposing to use part of a recent road safety funding award to deploy the latest in AI camera technology to help save lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March we learned that we had been awarded \u00a35,040,000 from the Department for Transport\u2019s (DfT) Safer Roads Fund (SRF) to deliver safety improvements on the A361 in North Devon between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The route was one of 17 roads in England designated by the DfT as \u2018high risk\u2019 in the latest SRF funding round and Devon received the highest award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, following evidence gathered during an AI camera pilot over the summer, we are preparing a business case, which we will submit to the Dft, to enable us to use part of that funding on AI camera technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the pilot on the A361 1799 potential offences were detected over a four-week period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These included 1363 instances where a seat belt wasn\u2019t worn and 436 mobile phone distraction offences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 our roads.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council\u2019s Cabinet Member for Highways Management and Vice Chair of Vision Zero South West said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cThe award we received in March will enable us to help make one of the county\u2019s busiest routes safer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m particularly keen on the use of the latest technology and innovation to target drivers with unsafe driving habits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recent pilot provided a snapshot of just how many drivers forget to put on their seatbelt and are distracted by mobile phones when driving.<\/p>\n

\u201cArmed with this evidence we will make the case to use part of this funding, likely to be in the region of \u00a3600,000, to deliver a three-year AI camera trial.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough using state-of-the-art technology, we want to reduce these dangerous driving practices and make our roads safer for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

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\r\n Councillor Stuart Hughes, Cabinet Member for Highway Management<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Councillor Hughes added that they were also looking closely at other improvements along the route such as speed management, and junction upgrades as well as better pedestrian facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Adrian Leisk, Head of Road Safety for Devon & Cornwall Police, said: <\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cThere 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrivers 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimilarly, we know that using a mobile phone while driving is highly dangerous and you are four times more likely to be in a crash.<\/p>\n

\u201cNationally in 2022, there were 22 people killed and 674 injured in collisions where a driver using a mobile phone was considered to be a contributory factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t use these camera systems to catch people \u2013 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":859,"featured_media":64612,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[986],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-roads-and-transport"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":64612,"title":"Summer AI pilot","alt":"Picture of AI camera on the A361 over the 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