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Beware the eye in the sky! AI traffic cop catches thousands of drivers texting behind the wheel READ MORE: How AI cops are already patrolling Britain's streets By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR Published: 12:53 BST, 20 October 2025 | Updated: 13:06 BST, 20 October 2025 Whether it's sending a quick text or casting an eye over your emails, those tempted to look at their phone while driving are finally being caught out. UK trials of an AI 'traffic cop' have successfully detected thousands of drivers using their phone behind the wheel. Horrifying images show a man driving a 20–tonne lorry down the motorway with just one hand while he fiddles with his phone in the other. Five more phones can be seen plugged in and spread out along the dashboard, with their screens facing upwards. Separately, a picture shows a man typing on his phone with both hands while his passenger leans over and steers the car. One driver was even caught using both their laptop and their phone at the same time. The images were captured by devices made by Acusensus, an Australian company that uses AI to scan the inside of vehicles as they drive past. The technology is being tested in 19 regions across the country including Devon, Cornwall, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and Sussex. Here, a driver can be seen holding their phone with two hands while their passenger grips the steering wheel In Manchester alone the trial caught more than 3,000 offences – which can also include not wearing a seatbelt – in just five weeks. Meanwhile Adam Pipe, head of roads policing in Essex, described the technology as 'phenomenal'. New figures from Devon and Cornwall also show the systems are having a significant effect on road user behaviour. The average number of people caught texting behind the wheel per day has dropped by 80 per cent since 2023, while average daily seatbelt offences have also been reduced by 83 per cent. Adrian Leisk, Devon & Cornwall Police's Head of Road Safety, 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.' He explained that the vast majority of motorists comply with the rules, with less than one per cent of the vehicles monitored using the Acusensus cameras detected as committing offences. 'However, the dangers associated with these offences are well documented,' he added. '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.' The technology captured this lorry driver using their phone at the wheel, while five others rest on the dashboard One driver (pictured) was even caught using both their laptop and their phone at the same time while on the road Using a mobile phone behind the wheel significantly increases the chances of being involved in a collision, with the distraction impairing both your judgement and reaction times. Over the last three years, Devon and Cornwall has also seen an encouraging reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured (KSI) on its roads. In 2022 the KSI figure was 790, which dropped to 754 in 2023 and then to 678 in 2024. Geoff Collins, the UK manager at Acusensus, said that interest in the trial has grown and more forces are expected to take part. 'People do not like other people peering at their phone when they're driving along at 70 miles per hour,' he told The Times. The technology works by automatically recording clear images of passing vehicles through a number of cameras, an infra–red flash and a lensing and filtering system. AI software than reviews the images and data, detecting potential offences such as using a phone behind the wheel. Cropped images of possible offences are sent for human review and, if it is agreed there has been a legal breach, the image is passed to police who decide whether to take action in the form of a fixed–penalty notice or to require the driver to attend a road–traffic training course. The AI cameras have significantly reduced the number of people not wearing a seatbelt or driving while using their mobile phone A driving awareness course in Devon and Cornwall can cost up to £100. Meanwhile a fine for using a mobile phone can be as much as £200 plus six penalty points, and a fine for not wearing a seatbelt is up to £500. Heart-stopping moment Tesla owner nearly plows into a moving TRAIN in 'self-drive' mode (and he says it wasn't the first time!) Acusensus was designed and developed by the businessmen Alexander Jannink and Ravin Mirchandani, who came up with the idea after a close friend was killed while riding a bike in Los Angeles. 'It was down to the driver driving under the influence and allegedly using a mobile phone,' Mr Jannink told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2019. The figures mark a fresh victory for the Daily Mail's End The Mobile Madness campaign, which has led calls for better detection and tougher penalties. New laws were introduced in 2017 after our campaign highlighted a spate of deaths caused by reckless drivers calling or texting while at the wheel. Penalties for using your phone while driving It's illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle. This means you must not use a device in your hand for any reason, whether online or offline. For example, you must not text, make calls, take photos or videos, or browse the web. The law still applies to you if you're: stopped at traffic lights queuing in traffic supervising a learner driver driving a car that turns off the engine when you stop moving holding and using a device that's offline or in flight mode You can get 6 penalty points and a £200 fine if you hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send and receive data while driving or riding a motorcycle. You'll also lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last 2 years. Source: gov.uk Share or comment on this article: Beware the eye in the sky! AI traffic cop catches thousands of drivers texting behind the wheel Add comment