THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bad news for traffic offenders, as speed cameras are set to get even more hi-tech. They will be able to detect whether two-wheeler riders are riding without helmets and whether four-wheel drivers are wearing a seat belt or not. After taking steps to nab the over-speed offenders, now the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) is in the process of catching hold of helmet and seat belt offenders.
Rajeev Puthalath, Joint Transport Commissioner, told Express the department is working on a new project that will include Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the camera system. “Until now, the cameras implemented here could only detect the number plate and over-speeding and red light violations. In the new technology, a machine will be taught to identify a person with and without a helmet through the machine learning process,” said Rajeev.
The technology to detect helmet violation was recently made by CDAC and the MVD had run a trial test in the capital city where it was able to achieve 98 per cent accuracy, he added.
Similar technology will be used for nabbing the seat belt offenders and those lawbreakers who ride two-wheelers with three pillion riders.
MVD officials have given the tender of the project to CDAC and have also asked the technical team to submit the evaluation report on the following project. Such a process is being implemented with the aim to fully discard the system of manual checking by the squads, said the Joint Transport Commissioner.
“Other than over speed the number of deaths occurred due to accidents caused by the ignorance of the drivers by not wearing a helmet or seat belt. So, it was necessary to take some serious action to nab such offenders. We have identified the public would wear helmet and seat belt only when they see a policeman on duty or a squad conducting checks and removes it once the vehicle passes the checkpoint,” said a senior MVD officer.
The Kerala Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) recently inaugurated the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras on the Walayar-Vadakkanchery stretch, which could read the number of the vehicle irrespective of the speed.