Drivers in France asked to take photo of car number plate to measure insect decline
Photos enable a count and also identity of the insect types
Even a clean number plate counts, since it still provides data
2016 Art Konovalov/Shutterstock.
France is asking drivers to take a photo of their number plate before and after long journeys to help gather data on insect decline.
The initiative was launched by Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (France’s National Museum of Natural History) through the app Bugs Matter. The programme is called ‘Bugs Matter: Insects Matter!’.
“The number of insects has been falling at an alarming rate for many years. It is no exaggeration to say that unless something is done to halt the decline, our own future could be at risk,” reads the app.
The idea originated in the United Kingdom from two nature conservation organisations: Buglife and Kent Wildlife Trust. Their programme has already analysed over 25,000 trips and revealed that, since 2001, there has been on average a 19% annual insect decline.
The data has prompted France to adopt a similar initiative.
The way it works in France is simple. You download the free app on your phone, clean your number plate, and take a photo before your departure and again upon arrival at your destination.
Artificial intelligence integrated into the app analyses the photos and is able not only to measure impacts but also to identify the types of insect. It also takes into account the route travelled, the weather conditions, the speed, and the type of landscape.
The reason to photograph the licence plate rather than the windscreen, for example, is that the number plate is consistent across all cars, whereas windscreens vary in angle and size.
The data is measured from April to September, when insect activity is at its highest, and from vehicles travelling at normal speeds of more than 20 km/h, as insects do not tend to stick at lower speeds.
If, upon arrival at your destination, your licence plate is clean and there are not any insects stuck on it, you should still take a photo, as clean plates count too.
Through this app, any car across France’s road network will be able to contribute to a live, open-air laboratory, gathering valuable data. France’s goal for the first April to September period is to mobilise at least 1,000 participants.
