AI road cameras that can see inside cars catch 700 drivers in just one week

Felix Reeves
Fri, 01 May 2026 12:24:10 +0000

More than 700 offences have been picked up by revolutionary camera technology that can see inside vehicles to detect people breaking road rules.

Sussex Police has become the latest force to make use of artificial intelligence technology to see inside vehicles through roadside cameras.

The AI technology is able to detect whether drivers are using a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt.

In just the first seven days of the cameras being in operation, a staggering 620 seatbelt offences and 110 mobile offences.

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Sussex Police also discovered 17 combined mobile phone and seatbelt offences, in addition to one case of not being in proper control of a vehicle with their hands on the wheel.

The high-definition cameras use an infrared flash to capture clear images through windscreens in all weather conditions, and at any time throughout the day.

Most of the images captured by the AI cameras are deleted immediately in real time and never seen by a human.

Any images which appear to show an offence being committed are automatically cropped and anonymised by the AI.

This includes any vehicle number plates and non-relevant data being visible, with these images being reviewed by officers for processing.

Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner, who is also the roads policing lead for the National Police Chiefs' Council, explained that the force was embracing modern technology.

It also aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on roads across Sussex due to irresponsible driving.

Data shows that in the last three years, 82 people were involved in a collision while someone was using a phone, while 214 were injured when not wearing a seatbelt.

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Chief Constable Shiner added: "We know from a previous trial in 2024 that seatbelt and mobile phone offences are rife on our roads, and I'm hugely disappointed by these latest statistics.

"While the vast majority of people are safe and competent road users, there is still a large number of motorists who continue to take risks, and that is not acceptable."

Drivers can be slapped with various consequences depending on the eligibility of the motorist, the severity and the road traffic offence.

They could be offered a course if they fail to wear a seatbelt as an alternative to a fine or prosecution.

Those caught using a handheld mobile device will be slapped with a £200 fine and six penalty points on their driving licence.

Mark Baker, Sussex Police Road Safety Team Manager, said: "In the first seven days alone, we have seen a number of people wearing their seatbelt under their arm.

"This is not proper usage, as it could still result in serious injuries in the event you are involved in a collision. The data we have captured so far is just a tiny sample of driver behaviour across Sussex.

"This suggests there is likely to be a number of habitual no-seatbelt wearers who may never have been involved in a serious collision and may not think the law applies to them. But why take the risk?"