Anyone working on the phone at the wheel of a car can be automatically fined from next week. Smart cameras that register this will be switched on on Monday.
Texting behind the wheel has led to dangerous situations on the road for years. In fact, it has become one of the biggest problems in traffic. Reason enough for the National Police to cleverly impose restrictions on this. That is why a test started a year ago with ‘smart cameras’ above roads and highways that can register whether someone is using a phone behind the wheel. From next week, these cameras will go ‘live’ and a fine will automatically be sent if such a violation is registered. That message the NOS.
The cameras have been tested since last autumn. Last spring, the National Police explained Techzle that the system already worked well, but still needed to be perfected. “The registrations are checked and generally appear to be correct. It is about self-learning software, which we are still working on. Nowadays it is mainly about further reducing the margin of error.” The cameras take a photo from above and only register the space around the steering wheel and the license plate of the car. The software determines if a phone is being held in that area.
Every car is photographed, but only the photos showing a phone behind the wheel go further into the system. Fully automatically, such as with a section control or speed camera, that photo is sent to the CJIB and a fine (€ 240) is issued. You can request the photo upon receipt of a fine and object if there is an error in the registration. It is not known on which routes such cameras hang.