New road camera can catch you eating or drinking behind the wheel

A new spy-in-the-sky camera which identified 15,000 cases of drivers using mobile phones could also catch motorists eating, drinking, or not wearing a seatbelt, its makers say. Smart cameras linked to a new, automated system using artificial intelligence (AI) are being trialled on an undisclosed motorway - ahead of a blanket ban on holding a mobile device while driving which comes into force in early 2022. The cameras instantly analyse high-definition photos taken through the windscreen of passing cars, and Jenoptik, the enforcement technology firm testing the cameras in the UK, believes they will be crucial in providing evidence to prosecute offenders. The pilot scheme has been running since spring and it is hoped a wider rollout across the country will be possible next year. But Acusensus, the Australian firm who designed the cameras, admits that they can be used to catch motorists doing anything from eating, drinking, smoking, adjusting the radio or using navigation devices in a holder.