Motorists will be targeted by a new generation of automated road cameras, called dtect, which can decipher how many people are in a moving vehicle using a low-intensity infrared beam to detect human skinThe camera has been designed, amongst other things, to nab lone motorists who use mannequins and decoys to fool the existing CCTV system policing the high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOVL). The camera sends an infrared beam through the windscreen, which can then detect the make-up of blood and water content in human skin.The new system is currently on trial in car-sharing lanes in Leeds, and it has been reported that “many” councils across England have expressed interest in the scheme.Motoring organisations say that the cameras are a further intrusion on private lives and that existing car-sharing lanes, like those in Birmingham and Leeds, don’t necessarily ease congestion.However, those in favour of the new system say that it will automate the HOVL and make it more efficient.In a bid to reduce congestion and emissions, transport company National Express is lobbying the government to allow their new luxury coach service – currently operating between Milton Keynes and London – access to high occupancy vehicle lanes.Roads minister Rosie Winterton has welcomed the idea of these unique cameras by saying, “We're certainly encouraging local authorities to look at innovative solutions to the problems that are created by congestion. High-occupancy vehicle lanes can be part of that because they certainly encourage car sharing. It also contributes to improving the environment and can cut the cost of travelling as well".
