AI photography under the microscope
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (390405)
Rockingham, Australia
April 25, 2026 6:30am CST
Six months ago, western Australia introduced fancy new AI-assisted traffic cameras which see into the front of the car. They are supposed to pick up if people aren’t wearing seatbelts or are wearing them incorrectly, if the driver is on the phone or otherwise distracted or maybe if there is a child on the passenger’s lap.
It seems these cameras did their job almost too well and now around 2,000 fines totalling $1.1 million have been withdrawn. One driver had an autistic person in the passenger seat. While the passenger started out with the seatbelt correctly fastened, on the journey they slipped the seatbelt off the shoulder and under the arm. The driver defended himself in court saying it would have been dangerous if he’d attempted to do anything about it while driving.
It’s good they’re applying a bit of commonsense to some of these convictions.
The photo is mine of two old cars that would never have had seatbelts.
15 people like this
14 responses
@snowy22315 (214233)
• United States
25 Apr
Big brother at it's finest. That is sophisticated though..here there are just traffic cams and license plate readers.
4 people like this
@snowy22315 (214233)
• United States
27 Apr
@JudyEv My car has a hissy fit if * don't buckle up.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (179042)
• United States
25 Apr
Years ago, while I was still working at Walmart, the city of Republic 20 miles away from our home, installed traffic cameras that could see into the front seats of cars, to take pictures of the person driving the car when it was speeding. The public backlashed that so hard that the city removed all the traffic cameras.
Two twins kept suing the city because one of them never drove their car and the other one claimed they'd never gone over the speed limit. The judge ruled the city had to have a positive ID of the person driving the car before the city could send them tickets in the mail. The twins kept winning their cases. A police officer must stop the car and get a positive ID before the twins could be ticketed.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (179042)
• United States
27 Apr
@JudyEv The police there were very unhappy with that judge when the ruling came down. But the city never put the traffic cameras back up, either.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (141879)
• Marion, Ohio
25 Apr
That is getting too nosy for my liking. Big brother doesn't need to see everything
3 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (141879)
• Marion, Ohio
27 Apr
@JudyEv We do too. But it's still very intrusive
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (132012)
• United States
1 May
I support people taking the government to court. My nephew, who is autistic, starts off with his specially designed seatbelt on. At some point, he manages to get half of that specially designed seatbelt off, and you can’t really do anything about it while you’re trying to pay attention to traffic. They’re just relieved he can’t get the bottom half of it off!
1 person likes this
@luisadannointed (13213)
• Philippines
27 Apr
I think that is best also to chec if there is any crime or somethign bad happening inside the car.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (54083)
• Mojave, California
25 Apr
Sounds scary, I guess I better not pick my nose in public anymore. 
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (89735)
• United States
26 Apr
I’m from the age where my seat belt was Mom’s right arm while I was standing in the front seat next to her!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (89735)
• United States
27 Apr
@JudyEv — I’m one of those close the door, buckle up people. Saw a wreck when I was 20 where the victim was thrown out of the vehicle, and I’ve worn my seat belt since.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222973)
• United States
27 Apr
Big Brother watching everything we do.
Love the old cars.
1 person likes this
