This country is using AI to catch drivers using phones
An Australian state is making a big move using artificial intelligence to detect those who illegally use their mobile phone while driving, becoming the first jurisdiction in the world to do so.
New South Wales Roads Minister Andrew Constance announced the state will use mobile phone detection cameras to catch drivers who are texting, making phone calls or perusing social media.
The cameras were in part spurred by the alarming prevalence of accidents involving phone usage in New South Wales. Forty-five cameras are expected to be rolled out across the state in late 2019 and will include fixed and relocatable trailer-mounted cameras, according to the New South Wales government.
The technology encompasses two cameras, with one photographing the car’s registration plate while another looks into the car's windshield to see if a driver is using their phone. The system, using artificial intelligence, will review the images and detect the illegal behavior while excluding drivers who are following the rules.
If a driver is detected using their phone, the image will be reviewed by authorized personnel before issuing warning letters, followed by a fine and demerit points on a license, according to the government.
This comes as a growing number of countries, including the U.S., are deploying artificial intelligence to track citizens, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
At least 75 countries, following China’s lead, are actively using AI tools such as facial recognition for surveillance.
Photo captured by a Mobile Phone Detection Camera and released by Transport for NSW shows a driver using a mobile phone while driving in Australia.(Transport for NSW via AP)
NSW tested the world's first mobile phone detection camera technology between January and June of this year. During the six-month pilot period, the cameras checked more than 8.5 million cars and detected more than 100,000 drivers illegally using their phones, according to statistics obtained by the government.
One driver was caught using his phone and iPad simultaneously, according to the government’s test trial.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
The issue of distracted driving has deluged more than just New South Wales. According to the CDC, distracted driving in the United States alone kills approximately nine people each day and more than 1,000 injuries are reported in crashes involving distracted drivers.
The CDC bolstered their point that sending or reading a text message can be the most dangerous distraction as it causes drivers to take their eyes off the road for about five seconds, which is long enough to cover a football field.