Dutch police test cameras to catch drivers using mobile phones
Dutch police have begun testing a camera and software system capable of identifying when a motorist is driving with a mobile phone in their hand, as part of efforts to reduce traffic accidents.
While cameras are commonly used to monitor traffic and issue speeding fines on highways in the Netherlands, they have not previously been used to catch people using mobile phones while driving.
Public prosecutor Achilles Damen said that drivers distracted by their phones may be the cause of one out of three road accidents in the country.
The system sorts through high-resolution images and selects those of people holding phones. License plate numbers are also recorded, while images of faces are not, the company behind the technology says.
Because the cameras are infrared, drivers will not see a flash, though they may notice a larger-than-usual camera system on an overpass or by the side of the road.
"It doesn't matter how dangerous the surroundings and how obvious the cameras are, drivers -- drivers interacting with their phones -- are just oblivious," said Alex McCredie, the director of Australian company One Task.
Operating a mobile phone while driving is punishable by a fine of up to 240 euros in the Netherlands, though the system is not being used to fine drivers yet.
(Source: Reuters)
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