Artificial intelligence cameras will soon be issuing motorway litterers with fines.
National Highways say it will install the hi-tech cameras in lay-bys in the coming weeks as part of a trial to detect littering.
Unlike traditional CCTV cameras which require enforcement officers to look through hours of footage to find offenders, the AI version will pick out offences, automatically sending them to an enforcement control room.
Then, images will be immediately reviewed and fixed penalty charges of up to £100 will be issued to the person registered to the vehicle's number plate.
To roll out the pioneering technology, National Highways has partnered with East Hampshire county council subsidiary, EHCS, who will manage the cameras.
East Hampshire county council will issue the fines as the highways body does not have the power to take enforcement action.
National Highways has comes under increasing pressure to clean up the country’s road network.
Last month, Richard Holden, from the Department for Transport, revealed that just under 40% of National Highways roads were graded below B for litter, meaning significant levels of rubbish were found.
Freda Rashdi, head of customer journeys at the National Highways, said: “Littering is a social problem across the country and we’re working hard to tackle it on our roads.
“It includes using CCTV in A-road lay-bys to gather evidence to provide to local authorities, who can carry out enforcement.
“We’re also carrying out a trial to understand how message signs resonate with drivers to reduce motorway littering.”
The RAC last month said it fears the nation is reaching a "point of no return" due to uncollected litter piling up on the side of the roads.
Steve Gooding, Director of the foundation, said: “In 1,000 years, we risk archaeologists digging up the past and identifying the 21st-century road network not by the buried tarmac but by the lines of litter that bordered it.”
In March this year, 25 MPs signed a motion to raise awareness of littering on the motorways.
The motion stated: “That this House deplores the huge amount of litter on motorways, access road, junctions and verges; notes that there is a crystal clear legal obligation on National Highways to ensure roads are kept clear of litter; and calls on National Highways to act on this obligation, use motorway gantries to promote anti-littering messaging, ensure staff and contractors remove signs, sandbags and cones following roadworks in a timely manner and ensure contracts include financial penalties for not doing so.”
Drivers can report littering on the roads to National Highways.
