A two-week trial of AI cameras in the West Midlands identified nearly 19,000 potential seatbelt and mobile phone offences. The cameras monitored vehicles outside Ladywood fire station in Birmingham and Fallings Park fire station in Wolverhampton during March.
Two weeks, two fire stations, 19,000 flagged images
The AI cameras recorded 17,225 possible seatbelt offences and 1,920 possible mobile phone offences across both locations. At Ladywood, 11,144 seatbelt and 1,163 phone offences were flagged. Fallings Park saw 6,081 seatbelt and 757 phone offences.
The figures show seatbelt offences outnumbered mobile phone breaches by roughly nine to one. This reflects broader road safety data for 2025, which links unbuckled seatbelts to 133 deaths in the UK and mobile phone misuse to 32 deaths.
How the technology works and its limits
The AI cameras use software developed by AECOM and Acusensus to scan images and identify potential offences. Human operators checked a sample of 8,024 images to verify accuracy, though the results of that review have not been published.
It is important to note that these figures represent potential offences the system flagged, not confirmed violations. There was no enforcement action during the trial.
Real-world risks highlighted
Among the images were cases of front-seat passengers holding children on their laps without seatbelts and numerous instances of children travelling without appropriate restraints. One showed a driver holding a phone with both hands, eyes on the screen instead of the road.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said the volume of risky behaviour was "far higher than we expected."
Next steps in enforcement
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funded the trial, working alongside police and fire services. The region’s road safety partnership will now assess if the AI technology is suitable for future police enforcement.
Simon Foster, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, said the trial results are under close evaluation to inform potential deployment.
Context and calls for action
Other police forces, such as Sussex, have already begun using AI cameras for enforcement. The Department for Transport includes reducing seatbelt and mobile phone offences in its National Road Safety Strategy.
Campaign group Better Streets for Birmingham called for comprehensive enforcement combined with safer street design and improved transport, emphasising the scale of the challenge in the region.
What the trial did not reveal
The WMCA has not published traffic volumes for the sites, so the number of offences cannot be linked to traffic flow or offence rates. Neither has it disclosed the trial cost or why results from March were only published in October.
For West Midlands drivers, the trial shows the technology can detect large numbers of potential offences. The partnership now faces decisions on enforcing these breaches on UK roads.
