Saudi police patrol cars have been fitted with hi-tech cameras to capture traffic violations automatically, Al Riyadh newspaper reported.
Traffic General Directorate director Brigadier Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Basami today launched the new equipment as part of efforts to use cutting edge technologies in clamping down on driving offences.
He said that the new hi-tech automated cameras would be fitted in all traffic police patrols across the kingdom to reduce road accidents.
Citing official statistics, he said that people injured in road accidents occupy up to 30 per cent of hospital beds across the country.
The new cameras would be able to capture various driving violations, including over-speeding, wrong overtaking and reckless change of lanes.
Brig Al Basami said that other hi-tech equipment would be operated within a few weeks to capture cellphone-linked violations and non-use of safety belts.
“Hand-held mobile phones while driving is the main cause of road accidents,” he said, pointing out that 80 per cent of head-on collisions result from the use of mobile phones while driving.
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