Over 19,000 offenses in two weeks - and no driver received a ticket

A trial by the West Midlands Combined Authority in the UK revealed over 19,000 suspected traffic offenses in two weeks, including failure to wear seatbelts and using a phone while driving. Despite the findings, the trial aimed to assess the scale of the phenomenon rather than enforce the law, so no tickets were issued.

A trial by the West Midlands Combined Authority in the UK revealed over 19,000 suspected traffic offenses over two weeks in March. AI cameras placed near fire stations in Birmingham and Wolverhampton identified 11,144 suspected seatbelt violations and 1,163 suspected phone use cases in Birmingham, plus 6,081 seatbelt violations and 757 phone use cases in Wolverhampton. The technology, developed by AECOM and Acusensus, was also verified through a human review of a sample of images. Despite the alarming findings, the trial was designed to assess the scale of the phenomenon and not for enforcement, so no tickets or fines were issued. Police noted that the findings are concerning.