Road cameras catch dozens on phones in first week

New traffic cameras have logged hundreds of drivers who were not wearing seatbelts in their first week of operation, according to Sussex Police.

The force said the technology recorded 620 suspected seatbelt offences and 110 drivers on their phone after their deployment earlier in April.

The cameras use infrared to take images through windscreens in all light and weather conditions.

Images of possible offences are automatically cropped and anonymised before being sent to officers for review, while the vast majority of images are immediately deleted, according to police.

Officers said in the first week of operation the cameras also registered 17 suspected instances of both phone and seatbelt rules being broken, and one driver with no hands on the steering wheel.

Sussex Police road safety team manager Mark Baker said he had 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," he said.

A National Highways trial of the tech in 2024 logged 458 offences in total in seven days, but attracted criticism over privacy concerns.

Using a phone while driving can lead to a £200 fine and six penalty points on a licence. Drivers can be fined up to £500 for not wearing a seatbelt.

Since 2023, more than 80 people have been involved in crashes involving a driver using a phone, and 214 people were injured in crashes while not wearing seatbelts, according to Sussex Police.

Chief Constable Jo Shiner said the technology was introduced "to help reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads through irresponsible driver behaviour".

"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," she said.

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