New speed cameras that can see inside your car have prompted a warning from traffic experts that the number of convictions for traffic offences has already “exploded”.
Drivers are being warned that thousands of people could be jailed for illegally using a mobile phone while driving, as new advanced cameras are rolled out across the UK.
A new government study, analysed by road safety experts Road Angel, has revealed that as many as 400,000 Britons could be caught and punished using the new technology.
The new ‘spot’ cameras, which can detect mobile phone use while driving, are currently being installed on 25 routes in the north of England, following successful trials in Greater Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Wales.
The study found that 0.3 percent of drivers used a mobile phone while driving. In the evening, that was 0.8 percent. The percentages were similar in England and Scotland.
It is estimated that between 150,000 and 400,000 of the UK’s 50 million drivers are still illegally using mobile devices behind the wheel.
Compared to the most recent figures from the Ministry of Justice, only 13,332 people were caught and punished for using a mobile device in 2023.
This is a 90 percent increase on the previous year, as the new cameras were tested in parts of the country and more motorists were caught.
However, the number of drivers caught is set to skyrocket as speed cameras that can view the interior of vehicles are being installed across Britain.
Transport Scotland has already signed a deal worth almost £500,000 for installation in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with the rest of the UK to follow.
The VECTOR-SR can also function as a speed camera at traffic lights, but can also capture drivers who are not wearing a seat belt.
The new cameras have proven to be very effective in catching speeding drivers driving in multiple lanes in both directions.
The first trials in Devon last year saw 3,280 drivers caught in just two weeks who were unfamiliar with the new cameras.
Because the cameras don’t have the traditional box-shaped structure of older speed cameras, they are harder to spot and don’t require road markings or flash to catch drivers breaking the law.
Drivers caught holding and using a handheld device behind the wheel could be given six penalty points and a £200 fine. If they appear in court, this could rise to £1,000 and a driving ban.
Road Angel’s Gary Digva warned: “The introduction of these high-tech cameras is a positive step forward in helping to reduce the number of accidents caused by motorists using handheld devices while driving.
“By recording drivers holding and using their mobile phones behind the wheel, the new cameras could penalise many more motorists than the old systems currently can.
“Despite the number of drivers being monitored using handheld devices falling, a recent government survey found that around 400,000 Britons are still breaking the law and putting their lives at risk.
“The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show that the number of convictions of drivers using a portable device has almost doubled on the previous year as new cameras have been introduced.
“With the Vector SR and other high-tech cameras that can see inside vehicles replacing older systems across the UK, prosecutions are set to skyrocket.
“Not only do thousands of drivers who use a mobile phone illegally face hefty fines of up to £1,000, penalty points on their licence and the risk of a driving ban, but you are also putting your own life and the lives of other road users at serious risk.”
“Never use a mobile device to text, call, take pictures or video, or surf the Internet while driving. Instead, use hands-free alternatives that do not block your view of the road.”