The UK has recently installed the world’s first AI speed camera, which can detect not only speeding but also spy inside vehicles.
The new “4D” radar and high-resolution cameras are designed to look inside cars and determine if drivers are using their phones or not wearing seatbelts.
The camera has been set up on the A23 in Lambeth, South London, as part of a Transport for London trial before it can be given Home Office approval.
Speeding Fines and Offences
In the last year, there were 1.74 million speeding offences in the UK, costing drivers a total of £45.7 million in fines.
Research conducted by Confused.com found that the most prolific speed camera was on the A40 in North West London, which caught nearly 50,000 drivers in the past year.
Alex Kindred, an expert from Confused.com, said, “A worrying number of drivers are being caught on the roads for speeding. Our research shows that nearly half of drivers (44%) have had a fine for speeding in the past.”
Advanced Road Safety Solutions
The camera, developed by Redspeed International, can be linked to DVLA and UK police databases to check tax and insurance on the spot. The company states that its Sentio camera “has the built-in modular flexibility, capability and scalability to meet virtually any future challenge.”
The introduction of the AI camera has also raised privacy concerns.
Jake Hurfurt, Head of Big Brother Watch, said, “This kind of intrusive and creepy surveillance, which treats every passer-by as a potential suspect, is excessive and normalising. It poses a threat to everyone’s privacy. People should be free to go about their lives without being analysed by faceless AI systems.”
Balancing Road Safety and Privacy
RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams acknowledges the benefits of the new camera, stating, “When it comes to drivers using handheld phones illegally, we also know from research that drivers are broadly supportive of camera-based technology being used to enforce the law.”
He also emphasises the need for proper camera setup and an easy means for drivers to challenge penalties and fines they believe are unwarranted.
Despite the concerns raised, Williams reminds drivers that “those who stick to the speed limit and obey the law have nothing to worry about regardless of what cameras are in place.”
