Update on new speed camera kit

Lancashire Police has no immediate plans to introduce a new type of speed camera that can see into vehicles and capture other motoring offences, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.

The artificial intelligence-powered devices – which are designed to catch drivers using a mobile phone, not being in proper control of their vehicle or not wearing a seatbelt – first appeared on UK roads during trials three years ago.

They have since been rolled out more widely, with Sussex Police becoming the latest force to deploy the new kit – which continues to monitor speed –  last month.

However,  Lancashire Constabulary told the LDRS that it was “not currently” planning to bring the technology to the county’s highway network – but was exploring “lots of options” surrounding the latest advancements in enforcement.

The Lancashire Road Safety Partnership operates almost 300 speed cameras across the county – both traditional spotcheck devices that record speeds as a vehicle passes a fixed point and others that work in tandem with each other to calculate an average speed along a stretch of road.

One of the trials of the all-seeing AI cameras, which took place on a route connecting Devon and Cornwall in 2023, resulted in almost 300 motorists being caught in the space of just three days – 180 for occupants of the vehicle not being belted in and 117 for drivers holding a mobile while at the wheel.

AI-captured images are reviewed by a human being before any further action is taken against suspected offenders in those areas where the tech is in use.

Geoff Collins, UK General Manager for Acusensus, the firm behind the devices, said of their introduction in Sussex: “We know that these dangerous driving behaviours are happening across our road network and that is a real matter of concern to all sensible drivers.

“Appropriate use of new technology now allows us to identify and evidence this in a way that would be impractical for conventional roads policing.  We have also seen impressive improvements to driving behaviours where the system is deployed.”