'Speedcam Anywhere' App Allows Anyone To Submit Evidence of Drivers Speeding

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Totum: A new app will allow any member of the public to submit evidence of other drivers speeding to the police. Using AI to estimate the speed of a passing car, Speedcam Anywhere, has been created by a team of AI scientists with backgrounds in Silicon Valley companies and top UK universities, reports the Guardian. The hope is it will encourage police to take speeding more seriously while enabling residents, pedestrians and cyclists to document traffic crimes in their area. However, the app's creators say they have been subjected to a vicious response, with many now scared to reveal their real identities due to the level of vitriol aimed at them by drivers. "We're getting quite abusive emails," Sam, the app's founder, told the Guardian on condition of anonymity. "It's a Marmite product -- some people think it's a good idea, some people think that it turns us into a surveillance state. "I can see both sides of that, but I think that if you're going to have speed limits, then it's the law that you obey them, and you should enforce the law. It's not a personal vendetta against anyone, it's just -- how do we make our roads safe? "There are 20,000 serious injuries on the roads every year -- how can we reduce them? And the way we reduce them is we make a deterrent to speeding."

The app has also faced other difficulties in getting off the ground. Google initially refused to allow it on the Play Store, claiming it wasn't possible to estimate the speed of a passing vehicle using AI alone, however this claim was later proved wrong. An iOS version has also been developed, but it has not yet been approved for distribution by Apple, who have not given a reason for the delay. "We're not sure why they would block a useful piece of technology, something that could save people's lives," Sam said. [...] Currently, the app cannot lead to drivers receiving speeding tickets, as the algorithm is yet to be vetted by the Home Office, meaning it is not legally a speed camera, although drivers could still be charged with 'dangerous driving' offenses if their behavior is deemed to be sufficiently negligent. Sam says he hopes use of the app will alert police to speeding hotspots, encouraging them to take more action against dangerous driving.