The chronicles of the last few days have rekindled the debate regarding the danger of using the smartphone at the helm and, reflected, the interest in Smart security systems capable of identify the transgressors of the highway code. These devices, already active in some Italian cities, exploit advanced technologies of vision and artificial intelligence To take photos and videos of vehicles in transit, recognize risk behaviors (such as the use of the phone or failure to hook the seat belt) and send the suspected images to the Municipal police. Law enforcement officers must no longer physically preside over the road section: the assessment can take place during the day or at night and with any climatic condition. The goal? Discouraging behaviors that, defining wicked, is an understatement.
In any case, the fines do not take automatically: the photographic and video material is sent to the authorities who, after appropriate checks, draw up the verbal and possibly apply the fine, which with the New Highway Code It can go up to 1,000 with a driving license suspension of up to two months.
How the anti-Smartphone camera is working at the helm
To Aglianain the province of Pistoiaa device called has been installed Mobile Phone & Seat Belt Detectionto replace an old speed camera used occasionally. This system consists of Two cameras combined with an infrared flashcapable of capturing images even in conditions of poor visibility. The data collected are processed by a calculation unit that is supported by a software aithat is, a program based on artificial intelligence trained to automatically recognize only the situations of real violation, such as the use of the phone at the helm. The images of the alleged violation are then sent to the operators of the Municipal police Which, examining them, determine case by case basis what happened and, in the event of effective violation, they issue the provision against the offender.
What are these cameras for and where they are installed
The deputy mayor of Agliana, Fabrizio Baroncelliclarified that the intention is not to let the income from the Municipality rise, but to prevent dangerous behaviors. To the Florentine newspaper The nationBaroncelli explained:
It costs 25 thousand euros, but we purchased it at half price by returning the speed camera, which does not find optimal use on the roads of the Aglian area. The Seat Belt and Phone Detector is not a device to make cash but for safety. In particular, the use of the driving mobile phone is among the major causes of accidents because it causes continuous distractions
THE’Article 173 of the Highway Code It prohibits the driver of making use during the march of “radio and telefectic appliances, smartphones, laptops, tablets and similar devices” that require the removal, even if only temporarily, of the hands from the steering wheel. Among other things, with the new highway code the penalties have increased, with Fines from 250 to 1,000 euros and the suspension of the driving license from fifteen days to two months.
TO Verona Another similar device has been introduced, called Cerber: it is a camera equipped with two wide -angle optics (the so -called lenses Fisheye), Modem and GPS locator. In addition to detecting the use of the cell phone or locking belt, it is able to identify stolen cars, not insured, with expired or illegitimate revision in limited traffic areas. A sort of “Swiss knife” of road safety, practically!
The advantage of systems such as those mentioned above is twofold: on the one hand they allow you to improve the effectiveness of the controlsavoiding that the lack of personal limits the application of the rules; on the other reduce the workload of the agentsbecause the assessment process takes place selectively and semi-automated. Compliance with the seat belt can also be verified by these technologies, and it is a fundamental aspect: it is estimated that wearing the belt correctly reduces the risk of death in an accident of at least 50%.
How serious is the problem of the use of the mobile phone while driving
At national, European and international level, the problem of distracted guide is considered a real emergency. According to some estimates, in Germanyonly in 2023 well 977 people were injured due to the use of the phone driving, of which 197 seriously And 20 mortally. In United StatestheNHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has reported 3,308 deaths only in 2022 for the same reason.
According to what the Vest (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), a British association for the prevention of road accidents and also of other kinds, Those who use the phone is four times more at risk of crashand the social cost of each individual fatal accident exceeds 2 million euros. Not to mention the “cost” in terms of lives and families broken by what has now become a sort of “cell dependence pandemics”.
