Distracted Driver And Seatbelt Technology Trial
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New technology to detect distracted drivers
Survey underway to monitor mobile phone and seatbelt use behind the wheel
New camera technology is being deployed in Scotland for the first time to monitor the number of drivers who use mobile phones behind the wheel and don’t wear seatbelts.
The issues are two of the ‘Fatal-5’ high-risk driver behaviours, with almost one in four road users killed on Scotland’s roads not wearing a seatbelt. As part of Scotland’s estimated 4.7 million daily vehicle journeys, around 169,000 drivers are estimated to not use seatbelts and over 28,000 may use handheld devices every day.
This survey will collect data on the scale of these problems to inform enforcement strategies in the future, help drivers understand the risks of mobile phone use and not using seatbelts, and ultimately guide road safety investment.
The cameras will monitor behaviours at 12 different locations across Scotland from this week for the next six months, covering various road types - urban, rural, trunk and local roads, as well as roadworks. This will be the largest survey of its kind, ever undertaken in the UK.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport 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 from 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”
Dr Jamie Uff is Technical Director at AECOM, the company analysing the data from the trial:
“Distracted driving and failure to wear seat belts continue to kill or seriously injure far too many people on our roads every year, despite high awareness of the risk of these behaviours.
“This programme will make detection straightforward and will provide valuable insight on the current level of road user behaviour. We hope to see this technology help raise awareness and improve road safety in Scotland.”
Background info:
- In the reported road casualty statistics for 2024, almost 1 in 4 (23%) in-car fatalities involved non-seatbelt use.
- A UK wide survey in 2023 indicated up to 0.6% of drivers use handheld devices behind the wheel and around 3.6% drive without seatbelts. Applied to Scotland’s 4.7 million daily vehicle journeys, that would suggest over 169,000 drivers may not wear seatbelts and over 28,000 may use handheld devices every day.
- technology being used in the trial uses trailer mounted cameras with AI processing software to assess the probability of a road traffic offence occurring in passing vehicles. It operates 24/7, in all lighting conditions, capturing vehicles travelling at high speed. The AI is used to filter out instances where an offence may be likely, before then being validated through two further stages of human review.
- Two unmanned trailers will rotate monthly across Scotland for up to six months. Data collected will feed into a post survey report. The range of locations identified allows us to better understand whether single or dual, rural or urban, roadworks or non-roadworks sections show a greater or lesser propensity to mobile phone use or failure to wear seatbelts.
- The pilot will also assess resource implications for Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service The overarching aim is to maximise the Programme’s contribution to the Road Safety Framework and ensure best value use of grant funded resources.
- There is no timetable for enforcement at this stage.
- Whilst this survey is underway to understand driver behaviours better, we are not openly disclosing camera locations. The cameras will be highly visible whilst they are deployed and protected by onboard security and CCTV monitoring.
More information from Transport Scotland on their website.
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