Surge in seat belt offences seen by AI monitors

Most road deaths without seat belts involved people aged 16 to 24.

Experts say seat belt habits may be vanishing among younger drivers and passengers.

AI-enabled cameras in Devon and Cornwall have detected 6,000 people failing to wear seat belts over the past year. The number caught was 50 percent higher than those penalised for using mobile phones while driving, police confirmed.

Road safety experts warn that the long-standing culture of belting up may be fading among newer generations of drivers. Geoff Collins of Acusensus noted a rise in non-compliance and said stronger legal penalties could help reverse the trend.

Current UK law imposes a £100 fine for not wearing a seat belt, with no points added to a driver’s licence. Campaigners now urge the government to make such offences endorsable, potentially adding penalty points and risking licence loss.

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