Acusensus in the UK: A Snapshot of Recent Activity
Acusensus is excited to share our growing opportunities and recent media features highlighting our UK operations. Acusensus’ UK operations began its first long-term program in Devon & Cornwall in August 2024, followed by a trial in Greater Manchester this month, an initiative featured on BBC Breakfast on August 30, 2024.
In August, Devon and Cornwall Police began utilising Heads-Up for the UK’s first long-term use of the solution, running a 12-month project following a trial earlier this year. The successful two-week trial happened in February and March 2024, with Heads-Up detecting 408 seatbelt and 162 mobile phone offences. The trial highlighted the distracted driving and seatbelt violation problem in Devon & Cornwall, and the counties are now looking to address this problem further.
The use of Heads-Up is supported by Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and chairman of the Vision Zero South West road safety partnership – “By embracing new technology such as the Acusensus system, we have the opportunity to improve driver behaviour and consequently make our roads safer for everyone.”
Following our Devon & Cornwall project expansion in early August, Acusensus is beginning a trial with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). The region is set to deploy Heads-Up to detect illegal mobile phone use and seatbelt non-compliance in Greater Manchester beginning September 3, 2024. This initiative was highlighted on BBC Breakfast on August 30, 2024.
This trial follows Safer Greater Manchester’s launch of the ‘Touch.Screen’ campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving. From 2014 to 2023, 138 people were killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions in Greater Manchester where distracted driving played a role. Additionally, in 2020, one in four road traffic deaths in Greater Manchester involved someone not wearing a seatbelt.
Greater Manchester Police is now one of the ten police forces in the UK that have trialled the Heads-Up solution. According to Peter Boulton, TfGM’s Network Director for Highways, this initiative will help TfGM “gain a better understanding of how many drivers break the law in this way, whilst also helping to reduce these dangerous driving practices and make our roads safer for everyone.”
Similar to the initial Devon & Cornwall trial, the trial in Greater Manchester will allow TfGM to refine future road safety campaigns to improve compliance with mobile phone and seatbelt use by drivers.
Acusensus looks forward to continue deploying our technology to remind people of safe driving practices, leading to changed behaviours and more lives saved.
For more information on the Devon & Cornwall project, visit:
AI traffic cameras that detect mobile phone use rolled out | ITV News
AI Cameras Crack Down on Cornwall’s Dangerous Drivers – CornishStuff
To learn more about the Greater Manchester trial, visit:
Greater Manchester to trial cameras that automatically detect distracted drivers
AI cameras to spot Greater Manchester drivers using phones
Cameras to Automatically Detect Distracted Drivers in Greater Manchester