As AI speed camera continue to be trialled on UK roads, used car dealers Big Motoring World has conducted a survey to see whether people had heard about the new technology and their thoughts on it.
The cameras have the potential to see inside vehicles as well as monitor their speed, giving law enforcement officers the ability to monitor multiple traffic offences at once but has led to concerns over what information the cameras capture – and where that goes, says News from Wales.
There are also questions about awareness of the new technology being used, with no major nationwide announcement of how and when it will be implemented widely.
The Redspeed Sentio cameras combine “several key enforcement applications in one box” and have “AI at its heart”. The first camera of its type was installed on the A23 in Lambeth, South London and can monitor for offences such as seatbelt and mobile phone violations as well as speeding.
The survey found that a considerable 60% of Brits had no idea what the technology is and that it is being implemented on UK roads.
Three in five were also unaware of the full capabilities of the cameras, including their ability to scan inside a vehicle as it passes and check things like seatbelt use and how many people are in the car.
The cameras can capture data such as number plate details to cross-reference with insurance and tax databases, which has prompted the fears over data security.
Respondents in the survey were split down the middle on this issue, with 50% saying that they believed the cameras represented an invasion of privacy but 49% accepting that this was justified to try and improve road safety.
Simon Williams, the RAC’s road safety spokesman, said: “While some drivers may criticise these cameras for unwanted snooping, the reality is that these days the police increasingly rely on technology to catch drivers breaking the law – after all, it’s impossible to have a police officer stationed on every street corner.
“Having said that, given the increasing sophistication of cameras and the potential for AI to play a role in the future, it’s absolutely vital these cameras are set up correctly and there’s an easy means of drivers challenging penalties and fines which they think are unwarranted.”
(Picture: Redspeed International)
