Shenzhen police target drivers distracted by gadgets

Traffic police in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, are targeting drivers who use mobile phones or other electronic devices while behind the wheel.

Police are also taking advantage of artificial intelligence technology to catch distracted drivers in the act.

More than 500 hidden surveillance cameras have been strategically placed along roadways to detect violators, which is greatly enhancing police work, authorities said.

"By using AI, we are able to receive and automatically process over 20 million images a day, many more than in the past when we could only deal with the images manually," said Chen Yanhong, an Shenzhen traffic police officer.

Some 1,300 officers are also being deployed to help spot illegal driving behavior.

Since the beginning of the year, 21,415 cases involving drivers using mobile phones or other electronic devices were detected in the city, higher than the total for 2017.