Police to use high tech vans to detect dangerous driving
Researchers will partner with Warwickshire police to improve road safety
Police will use high tech vans to detect dangerous driving in a bid to improve road safety, Warwickshire police have announced.
The high-tech van will trial technology that can detect when drivers are using mobile phones when driving and people who fail to wear a seatbelt. In addition, the van will also be able to detect tailgating vehicles in the future.
The van will be deployed on England’s motorways and major A-roads as part of a research project, partnered with Warwickshire police, to better understand the scale of dangerous driving.
If caught, drivers will be sent a warning letter informing them of the dangers of their actions.
Collisions are preventable
The ‘sensor test vehicle’, which is equipped with multiple cameras, can record footage of passing motors and uses artificial intelligence to process images. The van will be stationary at the side of the road while in use and will be trialled over three months.
England’s motorways are already among the safest roads in the world and this research will form part of the National Highways’ commitment to road safety.
Part of the commitment is the pledge to cut the number of people killed or seriously injured on the strategic road network to zero by 2040.
Inspector Jem Mountford of Warwickshire Police said: “We are really excited to see the impact that this new technology has on the behaviour of drivers in Warwickshire.
“Our officers deal with the tragic circumstances of collisions where often innocent people have been killed or seriously injured because a driver was distracted by a mobile phone or someone was not wearing a seatbelt. These collisions are preventable but we need all road users to do the right thing and comply with the law to make our roads safer”.