What happened

A driver in Jinan, Shandong Province, was captured by an automated surveillance camera while he scratched his face. 

The camera's AI mistakenly identified the gesture as holding a phone to his ear, leading to a notification of a traffic violation, which included a fine of 50 yuan (approximately USD 7.25) and two points deducted from his driving license. 

Having had his complaint rejected by the city's traffic department, the driver shared the incident on social media, resulting in a wave of sympathy.

Why it happened

The Jinan traffic department later canceled the ticket, explaining that the traffic surveillance system automatically identifies a driver's motion and then takes a photo, mistaking the man's face scratching for talking on a phone while driving.