AI cameras to catch distracted drivers in Oman — texting at the wheel could cost your licence
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "AI cameras to catch distracted drivers in Oman — texting at the wheel could cost your licence")
Representative image: Person driving car while using mobile phone Photograph: (Pexels)
Oman's AI-driven traffic violation system is part of the Royal Oman Police's (ROP) broader strategy to enhance road safety.
In Oman, drivers who take traffic rules lightly or violate them would now have to escape eyes in the sky. As per reports, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has begun the deployment of artificial intelligence-powered smart systems that would monitor traffic violations, especially the use of mobile phones while driving and the failure to wear seat belts. This comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that distracted driving, particularly due to the use of mobile phones, poses one of the greatest modern threats to road safety. Oman's AI-driven traffic violation system is part of the Royal Oman Police's (ROP) broader strategy to enhance road safety.
What would the AI do?
As per Brigadier Eng. Ali bin Sulayem Al Falahi, Director-General of Traffic at the ROP, the cutting-edge technology has been designed to analyse data and enforce traffic laws more effectively. As cited by 'The Arabian Stories', he said that the ROP was implementing a comprehensive monitoring system that integrates smart traffic lights along with the AI-supported cameras. The cameras, he said, are capable of detecting traffic violations without any need for human intervention.
Brigadier Al Falahi also said that in the Sultanate the most common traffic violations include speeding, running red lights and seatbelt non-compliance. Additionally, cases of distracted driving, mainly due to the use of mobile phones, is also common.
What would be the penalties for traffic violations caught by AI cameras?
As per Al Falahi, gradual legal actions would be taken, penalties for traffic violations would range from temporary licence suspension to mandatory driving qualification courses to vehicles would be impounded. Meanwhile, if a driver commits repeated violations, their driving licence would be permanently cancelled.
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Texting and driving: A growing modern problem
AS per the WHO, mobile phone use has led to a growing problem of driver distraction. In a 2011 report, the organisation warned, "Distracted driving is a serious and growing threat to road safety. With more and more people owning mobile phones, and the rapid introduction of new “in-vehicle” communication systems, this problem is likely to escalate globally in the coming years." As per Gulf News, globally, every year, around 1.19 million people die in road accidents, and another 20 to 50 million suffer non-fatal injuries.
