Cameras which can detect drivers who use mobile phones behind the wheel or who do not wear a seatbelt are being deployed in Scotland for the first time.
In the largest survey of its kind ever undertaken in the UK, the cameras will monitor behaviour at 12 sites in Scotland for the next six months.
The data will be used to inform enforcement strategies in the future.
Transport Scotland says that among Scotland’s estimated 4.7 million daily vehicle journeys, it is estimated around 169,000 drivers do not use seatbelts.
More than 28,000 may use handheld devices every day behind the wheel.
The survey will see two cameras mounted on trailers and they will use AI processing techniques to determine the probability of an offence.
They will rotate around locations in Scotland over the six months.
Two stages of human review will validate the cameras’ findings.
There is currently no timetable for enforcement in relation to the survey, Transport Scotland said.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “We know using a mobile phone behind the wheel when driving and not wearing a seatbelt are two of the highest factors which risk death or injury on our roads and present significant dangers to other drivers and passengers on Scotland’s roads.
“This trial will give us the most comprehensive picture yet of the scale of these issues.
“Recent statistics show that almost a quarter of in-car fatalities were of drivers and passengers who were not wearing a seatbelt at the time, and tens of thousands of drivers continue to use mobile phones behind the wheel on a daily basis at serious risk and danger to themselves and others.
“We cannot allow that to continue, and this trial will help inform the next steps in tackling these behaviours through enforcement, education and targeted investment.
“The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to our goal of making Scotland’s roads the safest in the world by 2030. The use of new technology to tackle some of the most dangerous driver behaviour will help us achieve that goal.”
Geoff Collins of Acusensus, the company behind the camera technology, said: “As the UK’s largest ever survey of mobile phone and seatbelt use, this project will provide clear evidence for the scale of poor driving behaviours on Scottish roads.
“We know from existing operational schemes that this knowledge gives us a chance to change bad habits, which will result in fewer avoidable collisions and casualties.”
