Experts have called for stronger punishments from new artificial intelligence speed cameras to be handed to motorists in a bid to deter dangerous driving across the UK.
Road cameras that contain AI technology have become more common around the country in recent years as police forces and local authorities crack down on driving offences.
The technology can see inside vehicles to see whether the driver is wearing their seatbelt or using a mobile device, which can then lead to fines.
In a trial across the South West of England, almost 300 offences were caught in just three days of operation during a trial of the first free-standing AI camera.
A larger 15-day trial detected 590 seatbelt and 45 mobile phone offences on roads across Devon and Cornwall, with growing support for the technology.
Any images caught by an AI camera are reviewed by a human, at which point the driver is sent a warning letter or a notice of intended prosecution.
Other police forces across the UK have started trialling the technology, including across Greater Manchester, Essex, and Sussex.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has confirmed his intention to trial AI camera technology on the streets of the capital alongside the Metropolitan Police.
A leading road safety expert has called for fines to be more expensive to pay for AI cameras
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The technology will be able to spot mobile phone and seatbelt offences, in addition to detecting illegal number plates. TfL also plans to enhance roadside drug testing.
The executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) has called for the greater use of the technology across the UK.
Jamie Hassall told Autocar that driving fines should be hiked to fund the rollout of these cameras to crack down on motorists brazenly ignoring road rules.
He suggested raising the rate of a fine to £500 to install more cameras, increase police patrols and improve intelligence around serial offenders.
AI speed cameras have become more common around the UK in recent years | TRANSPORT FOR GREATER MANCHESTER
Mr Hassall said: “You can get fined £150 for dropping litter, but no one dies. Speed awareness courses are useful, but second-time offenders deserve a much higher penalty.”
A consultation into higher fines for motoring offences recently concluded as part of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy.
The Strategy, which was the first national rollout for more than a decade, has aimed to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on UK roads.
Labour proposed reviewing rules around drink and drug driving, seatbelt usage, use of illegal number plates, and driving unlicensed, without an MOT and without insurance.
AI speed cameras are becoming more common around the UK | TRANSPORT FOR GREATER MANCHESTER
If a driver fails to wear their seatbelt behind the wheel, they can be slapped with a fixed penalty notice of £100, or a maximum fine of £500 if the case goes to court.
The consultation proposed increasing the penalty to slap drivers with three penalty points if they or any passengers fail to wear a seatbelt.
Data from the Department for Transport found that almost five per cent of all vehicle front seat passengers did not wear their seatbelts during the autumn of 2023.
A Government spokesperson said: “We know that the majority of motorists are responsible and law-abiding, but they and other road users want to see law-breaking dealt with, to make all our communities safer.”