They detect if you are wearing your seat belt, if you are on your cell phone or if you make illegal turns

Pamplona is going to significantly strengthen its traffic surveillance system starting next June. Although we recently knew the setup of the new section radar of the AP-68which by the way is the second longest in Spain with more than 30 km of distance covered, now the Pamplona City Council will launch four radars with AI capable of hunting down practically any driving violation, from carrying your cell phone in your hand to driving without a seat belt, jumping a red light or changing lanes improperly.

Automation. Until now, these types of violations depended on traffic officers. The arrival of these radars automates this surveillance and, above all, it will work as a pilot test in the country, because if they end up giving good results, it is reasonable to think that we will see this technology spreading to other Spanish cities and roads in the coming months.

What do they detect?. The new devices incorporate a color camera and a license plate reading system that, combined with AI technology, identify a whole range of illegalities while driving. According to the City Council, they will be able to detect:

• Use of mobile phone while driving.
• Drivers without seat belts.
• Traffic in the opposite direction and prohibited turns.
• Improper lane changes.
• Running a red light.
• Do not respect zebra crossings or stop in yellow-marked areas.

Added to all this is a speed control system, with a range that goes from 10 to 320 km/h. The objective according to the City Council is to “monitor compliance with traffic rules, regulate speed and avoid accidents in the city”, as share from Navarra News.

What are they like?. The gray cabins are something that has been left behind on these new radars. These are mounted high on staffs, medians or gantries, and withstand temperatures between -30 and 70 degrees without the need for a protective casing. Another important novelty is that they cover several lanes at the same time and bidirectionally (both approaching and receding vehicles) and allow different speed limits to be configured for each lane.

Where will they be installed?. Although the idea is that rotate between the eleven cabins that are spread throughout the city, the first planned locations are Army Avenue, Gipuzkoa Avenue next to the Oblatas Bridge, Sadar Street and Paseo de Santa Lucía. The fact that they rotate is precisely designed so that the driver never knows for sure if the cabin in front of him is working or not.

Between the lines. Each radar It has cost the City Council 20,000 euros (VAT apart), an investment that the City Council considers justified by the number of infractions that a single device is capable of detecting. In addition, it should be taken into account that a device of this type can fine for behaviors that previously required the presence of an agent or were easier to avoid. So it is quite likely that they will end up recovering the investment based on fines in a short time.

Before starting to operate, the radars must pass the approval process of the Spanish Metrology Center, a step that the City Council hopes to resolve in time to activate them during June.

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