Traffic police in southern Chinese city target drivers with hi-tech cameras
In Zhuhai, points docked from driving licence for illegal parking, undipped headlights and honking horns
Traffic police in a southern Chinese city snared nearly 4,000 drivers for various offences in two weeks, by employing electronic eyes for the first time at a busy intersection.
Guangzhou Daily reported that the 23 high-definition cameras, using sonar detection, underwent a fortnight of tests before going into full operation in Zhuhai on Friday.
In all, 3,924 drivers were picked up by the cameras in the two weeks, mostly for using undipped headlights and needless honking of horns.
Photos of the jaywalkers are displayed on a giant screen which is switched on around the clock by the side of the intersection. The personal details of repeat offenders are stored on a database and could also appear on social media apps such as WeChat.
The surveillance cameras have been programmed to identify more than a dozen traffic offences, including illegal parking, driving the wrong way up a one-way street, and crossing the central reservation. Drivers can face fines or have up to six points deducted (a clean driving licence has 12 points).
An unidentified Zhuhai traffic police officer told Guangzhou Daily that they did not anticipate capturing so many people on film committing traffic offences.