Real-time tech to nab DUI road offenders

Police in Jilin province plan to use facial recognition technology to identify and catch drunken drivers by the end of this year, according to local traffic police.

Experts will help set up a physiology-based model containing facial features commonly identified with drunken drivers, such as enlarged pupils, flushed cheeks, shaky breathing and yawning.

By scanning the faces of drivers and comparing them with the model, high-definition surveillance cameras will be able to spot drunken drivers and send data to police in real time, including vehicle license plate numbers, so that they can locate the suspects and conduct breath tests.

In addition to catching drunken drivers, the aim of the technology is to identify offenders who are driving under the influence of drugs, said Jin Xin, an official from the Jilin traffic police bureau. Jin added that the cameras will be effective tools in analyzing the facial characteristics of drug users.

The technology is expected to be in use by the end of this year. It will greatly improve the accuracy of law enforcement, including hunting down fugitives, and it will serve as a deterrent to misbehavior for all drivers.

The measure is part of the province’s yearlong campaign to combat DUI, or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Zhang Zhongcheng, deputy chief of the Jilin traffic police bureau, said the frequency of accidents and other data provided by platforms that offer driving services will be analyzed to map out key areas and times for traffic police to carry out investigations.

“It is inevitable that this technology will be expanded across various provinces. It will be widely used throughout the country,” he said.

Jilin is not the first province to explore the use of such technology. The traffic police bureau in Jiangsu province, for example, announced in February a plan establishing the same physiology-based model and facial recognition system to nab DUI offenders.

Drunken driving is one of the most common causes of crashes in China. Figures from the Ministry of Public Security show that 17,264 drivers were banned from driving for life last year, with 5,149 drivers found to be drunk after an accident.

The authorities have maintained a tough stance on the problem. The ministry’s traffic management department released a new guideline in February to tackle drunken driving and made a plan to reduce the number of traffic accidents, deaths and injuries from drunken driving by the end of this year.

It is inevitable that this technology will be expanded across various provinces. It will be widely used throughout the country.” Zhang Zhongcheng, deputy chief of the Jilin traffic police bureau