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Big Brother row as police force starts using Google camera cars to fine wayward drivers

By Jaya Narain

Last updated at 3:05 AM on 06th April 2009

Police are taking a leaf out of Google's book with their latest weapon in the war on motorists.

They are using cars with spy cameras on a mast. Drivers talking on their mobile phones, eating, applying make-up or otherwise driving illegally will be pictured.

And as the telescopic cameras can zoom in from some distance, the first inkling that they have been snapped could be when a £60 fine lands on the doorstep.

Police say the new cars – similar to those used by Google to map town and city streets – will help reduce road deaths. But motorists say the Big Brother vehicles will merely be another cash cow for the Government and a further 'tax' on hard-pressed motorists.

The Treasury already rakes in more than £105million in fines each year from speed cameras and driving-offence fixed penalties.

Two Smart cars are pioneering the scheme in Greater Manchester, where distracted motorists are said to have caused more than 400 accidents in the past two years, killing or seriously injuring 25 victims.

Drivers who are caught using their mobiles will be sent a £60 fine and will have three penalty points on their licence.

Those caught on camera without a seatbelt or driving erratically while eating will be fined £30.

Anyone who refuses to accept a fine – which will go into Treasury coffers – could be hauled before the courts.

Karen Delaney from DriveSafe, the road safety group behind the latest scheme, said: 'Many vehicles are now better equipped than offices or homes, with the latest technology in satellite navigation, telecommunications and state-of-the-art music systems all to hand.

'Add in other distractions such as complex dashboard instrumentation, a hot cup of coffee and a conversation with other vehicle occupants, and it is no wonder that some drivers are not paying attention.'

She added: 'The Smart enforcement vehicles are fully police liveried and working in areas where our data analysis has identified a high occurrence of "driver distraction" collisions and where officers have regularly observed offences being committed.'

Nigel Humphries, from the Association of British Drivers, said: 'This is a total infringement. They might as well put something in cars to test what drivers are thinking – to see if they are concentrating on the road or thinking about something else.

'Apart from that it's going to be counter-productive. There's no excuse for not having police officers watching the road to look out for motorists who are driving erratically.'

Peter Roberts, from the Drivers' Alliance, said: 'People shouldn't be using mobile phones when they are driving in the car, especially handheld ones. But I am not comfortable with spy cameras which can see into your car and see what you are doing.

'The old-fashioned type of policing where coppers are sitting by the side of the road watching people go past to see if they are using a mobile is a far better way of doing things.'

I think there's a fortune waiting for the peron who develops a window film that allows the regulation minimum amount of light to pass through the car windows but doesn't allow a good view INTO the car! What's the betting that as soon as any such treatment IS developed the regs will be amended to outlaw it?!

Smart move to trap distracted drivers
8:30am Thursday 2nd April 2009



POLICE cars equipped with telescopic CCTV cameras are to patrol the streets of Bolton to film drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts.

And if the scheme, the first of its kind in the country, is a success, officers may look at trying to catch drivers being distracted by eating food or changing CDs.

The new Greater Manchester initiative, will see police officers in two specially–adapted Smart cars fitted with CCTV cameras on the roof, extended from a mast.

It has been launched by Drivesafe, Greater Manchester’s casualty reduction partnership, which is made up of agencies including the police, fire, local councils and health trusts.

Drivesafe has introduced the scheme to cut down on the number of people killed on the roads — nine people died in Bolton last year.

See full report in The Bolton News

[Some people would say that's an invasion of their privacy, being able to look into the cars like that.]

Some people would say that, but unless you're committing a driving offence then we wont be looking into your vehicle.

Hi

Regarding the tint idea....

I already have "Limo Tint" on the back and rear side windows of my Porsche and that stops 95% of light (and nosey cameras)

Ok it wont stop these camera cars from front or sides but it will cut down their effectiveness drastically...I can see window tinting companies making a LOT of money if these camera cars become common....

All the best Brett

Reducing the level of illumination in the car legally via window tints on the rear and sides will only gain small benefit.
By far the biggest hindrance would be a steeply raked screen, which reflects the sky towards the camera.

Interestingly, the film stated that "nobody would use the camera to look into your car, unless you are committing an offence"
So do they rely on tip offs from the public to alert them as to which vehicles they need to look into?

The DVD's are then locked away in a secure police storage facility, and only viewed if you have committed an offence!
So if the DVD does not show an offence - why store it?

The title sequence for the SIMPSONS has the answer - Maggie sits in the back, replicating Marge's every manouvre with a fake steering wheel.
What we need is for somebody to market a fake steering wheel to be fitted on the passenger side of the vehicle, with a rubber hand holding a mobile... or even holding up two fingers of KitKat!!

I cannot help thinking that a rear end shunt could prove very expensive with all that computer gear in the boot. Would you need to inform the insurance company of the additional risk?

By far the biggest hindrance would be a steeply raked screen, which reflects the sky towards the camera.

They don't eliminate the sun blind being down all the time though.

And in reality, with the light reflecting from various points as the vehicle moves,

and the reflected light being polarised differently as reflected, the polarising filters would not be much use.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7994449.stm