Police are cracking down on drivers using mobile phones and driving without seatbelts in a new van with a camera mounted about 6.5 meters above the road.
The cell phone and seat belt use artificial intelligence to identify motorists who may be breaking the law.
Images are then sent to an officer for a secondary check and those who break the law will be prosecuted.
The enforcement vehicle has previously been deployed in Warwickshire, Merseyside, East and West Sussex.
Safer Roads Humber is now working with National Highways in testing the van, which has been deployed to the Humber region this week.
Safer Roads Humber is working with National Highways in testing the new enforcement vehicle
A National Highways spokesman told MailOnline there is currently no commitment to deploying this beyond East Yorkshire, adding: ‘We are reviewing the data we have collected on mobile phone and seatbelt compliance and will work with the police and others as they develop the next phase of work to improve compliance and make the network more secure.”
Ian Robertson, Safer Roads Humber partnership manager, said: ‘It is important that motorists comply with all traffic rules at all times, for their safety and the safety of other road users.
“The number of deaths or injuries in road accidents in the region has risen in recent years and this is partly due to driver complacency.
‘We can’t choose which traffic rules we obey; all laws must be obeyed at all times.”
He continued: ‘This new van increases our enforcement capacity; our current speed cameras can already detect mobile phone users and seatbelt violations, but this specialist equipment gives us extra capacity.’
Jamie Hassall, the leader of the National Highways road safety team, added: ‘This technology has already been deployed on roads elsewhere in the country, where it has helped to shine a light on the minority of dangerous drivers who endanger themselves and others in continue to pose a threat.
‘We want to see if we can change driving behavior and thus improve road safety for everyone.
“So, as we embark on this final test of the system, our advice is clear: Buckle up and give your full attention to the road.”
Safer Roads Humber also raises awareness of the ‘Fatal Four’, the main causes of road accidents.
The cell phone and seat belt use artificial intelligence to identify motorists who may be breaking the law
The cameras from above capture people appearing to be using phones – then checks are made (stock image)
This includes speeding, using a portable cell phone while driving leading to distraction, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and failure to wear a seat belt which determines the severity of injury in an accident.
Mr Robertson said: ‘The majority of motorists usually drive safely and appropriately, but a very small minority deliberately drive in a dangerous manner.
“Using a cell phone while driving, whether texting, checking your status, or calling friends, is a very conscious act.
“Not wearing your seatbelt is a very deliberate act and if you are involved in a collision you are more likely to die or be seriously injured. Those who drive in this way risk prosecution.’
The van was developed by Aecom and Acusensus. It has been deployed by National Highways – in partnership with several police forces – since last summer as part of a road safety pilot program.
Anyone caught using a portable mobile phone while driving risks a £200 fine and six points on their licence.
Anyone not wearing a seatbelt in a vehicle risks a fine of £100, with the driver responsible for all passengers under the age of 14.
Where possible, traced persons may be offered training as an alternative to prosecution.
Police have previously spied drivers of unmarked trucks and caught hundreds of drivers breaking the law.
MailOnline reported in 2020 that officers used the cabin height of a ‘hidden’ truck to look inside vehicles and see if drivers were wearing seatbelts or using cell phones.
They found that some motorists completely flouted safety rules, with one driver caught using his elbows to steer and another using his dashboard as a filing system.
Another man watched music videos while behind the wheel and a woman spotted her make-up on the fourth lane of the M25, police said at the time.
Officers previously used the “inconspicuous” truck cab (pictured) to look inside vehicles and see if drivers were wearing seatbelts or using cell phones
Police spying on motorists from an unmarked truck in 2020 caught hundreds of drivers breaking the law in shockingly different ways. Pictured: DIY equipment packed insecurely in a van traveling the M25
For nine days over a month and a half in 2020, Sussex and Surrey Police saw over 300 different drivers commit offences. Pictured: A van driver was found using his dashboard “as a filing system.”
Sussex and Surrey Police saw more than 300 different drivers commit offenses in nine days over a six-week period.
One officer was behind the wheel of the truck, another watched out for dangerous or distracted driving and filmed worrying incidents.
The ‘observer’ officer then relayed the information to another police vehicle riding behind, which intercepted him and told the suspected driver to pull over.
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on it, we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money and use it for free. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to compromise our editorial independence.