Police crack down on drivers using cellphones behind the wheel – find out if there’s a new gun near you

COPS are using a new “weapon” against drivers who use mobile phones and drive without a seat belt.

A van with a camera mounted 21 feet above the freeway is the latest artificial intelligence officers are using to take down lawbreakers.

1

The new solution — secret vans with cameras mounted 21 feet above highways — aims to identify drivers who break the law.

The mobile phone and seat belt unit uses artificial intelligence and sends images to an officer for inspection.

Those who break the law are then prosecuted.

The unmarked mobile traps have already been deployed in Warwickshire, Merseyside, East and West Sussex.

Safer Roads Humber is now working with National Highways to test the van, which was deployed across the Humber region this week, MailOnline reported.

A spokesman for National Highways said there was currently no obligation to use this further than East Yorkshire but would work to have police verify data to make the road network safer.

It comes after drivers were warned of new “invisible” speed cameras tracking these speeding violations.

Cameras, hidden in vans painted gray to make them difficult to spot, are being tested ahead of a planned nationwide rollout.

It is not a legal requirement for the police or local authorities to warn motorists of cameras ahead.

Police say unmarked speed camera vans promote consistently safe driving, rather than the yo-yo effect of drivers slowing down for cameras.

The camouflaged vans are repackaged existing fast transporters that have been given a matt gray coating – rather than the typical bright orange and yellow markings seen on UK roads.

Ian Robertson, Safer Roads Humber Partner Manager, commented on the new safety vehicles.

He said: “It is important that motorists always obey all traffic rules, this is for their own safety and the safety of other road users.

“The number of people killed or injured in road accidents across the region has stabilized in recent years, in part due to driver complacency.

“We cannot choose which traffic laws we obey; all laws should be obeyed at all times.”

He added: “This new van increases our assertiveness; our current security camera vans can already detect cell phone users and seat belt violations, but this specialist equipment gives us additional capacity.”

Jamie Hassall, head of National Highways’ road safety team, explained that the technology has already been used on other roads across the country, where it has highlighted the minority of dangerous drivers who continue to put themselves and others at risk.

He explained that they want to try to change driver behavior and improve road safety for everyone.

Jamie added: “So as we embark on this latest test of the system, our advice is clear: buckle up and give the road your full attention.”

It comes after an angry resident revealed how he got revenge on young racers who sped through his neighborhood after the council failed to stop them.

Paul Hooper, 57, from Swansea, said reckless drivers thundered down his street so fast police couldn’t catch them – until he splashed out on a £3,000 speed camera.

You can also check whether you really have been caught by a speed camera – and whether you will be fined.