Cameras which use AI to detect mobile phone and seatbelt offences are having a positive effect on road user behaviour in Devon & Cornwall, according to the latest figures.

The Acusensus ‘Heads-Up’ cameras have been used at different locations around the two counties over the past three years as part of ongoing trials supported by Devon & Cornwall Police and the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership.

The systems use two cameras to take high-speed front-facing and overhead images of vehicles, with AI used to detect any potential seatbelt or mobile phone offences. The images are then verified in the UK by at least two human reviewers to determine whether an offence has taken place.

If an offence has been correctly identified, the driver will either be sent a warning letter or a notice of intended prosecution, depending on the severity.

As the cameras reach the milestone of 10,000 offences detected in the past year, new figures indicate the systems are having a significant effect on road user behaviour.

Data from the cameras during August 2024* shows a 50% decrease in seatbelt detections and a 33% decrease in mobile phone detections at three different locations during the course of the month.

Adrian Leisk, Devon & Cornwall Police’s Head of Road Safety, said the longer-term effects are also looking very promising.

He said: “We used the cameras at the same location on the A38 at Landrake during 2023, 2024 and 2025. The year-on-year data** shows a prolonged and significant reduction in both seatbelt and mobile phone offences, which is really encouraging.

“It’s important to say that the vast majority of motorists are complying with the rules – in fact, less than 1% of the vehicles we monitored using the Acusensus cameras were detected as committing offences.

“However, the dangers associated with these offences are well documented. Around a third of all fatal collisions nationally involve someone who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt – and not wearing one means you are twice as likely to die in the event of a serious collision.

“Using a mobile phone behind the wheel also significantly increases your chances of being involved in a collision, with the distraction impairing both your judgment and reaction times.

“The Vision Zero South West partnership remains committed in the use of technology to help address behavioural issues that lead to road traffic collisions. This is about keeping all road users in Devon and Cornwall safe and I’m delighted to see these cameras having a positive impact.”

Geoff Collins, General Manager of Acusensus UK, added: “This long-term operational project has proved that not only can we show the size of the problem, but we can effectively deal with it too.  We are actively making the roads safer, as shown by the reduction of risky behaviours that we see.

“We believe the vast majority of road users are supportive of this work. It’s not acceptable that the poor behaviours of a small minority put others at risk.”

Over the last three years, Devon and Cornwall has seen an encouraging reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured (known as KSI figures) on its roads.

In 2022 the KSI figure was 790, which dropped to 754 in 2023 and then to 678 in 2024 (the latest figures available).

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is also chair of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership.

Commissioner Hernandez said: “While these figures are certainly going in the right direction, there is a lot more work to be done. These aren’t just numbers, these are lives turned upside down by unimaginable tragedy and trauma.

“Every member of the Vision Zero South West partnership has committed to halving the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads by 2030 – and eventually, to zero.

“We will continue to work hard, using innovation and collaboration as we strive to achieve this ambitious target. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility.”

* Table below shows the average daily number of detections across three sites – A388 Callington, A361 Barnstaple & A38 Tavistock Road, Plymouth – at the start and end of August 2024.

** Table below shows the average number of daily detections during each period on site.