Newsroom

Black and white photo of person driving with a mobile phone in one hand and red circle around the hand with the phone.
Mobile cameras to ping distracted drivers

The Road Safety Advisory Council has launched a new road safety campaign Click, Store, Go' as the state government moves closer to implementing mobile cameras to ping drivers using their phones.

Distracted drivers are a significant road safety problem and pose a particular risk to people riding.

Many riders have seen drivers using phones while behind the wheel and/or drifting out of lanes while on their phones.

The Road Safety Council estimates that distracted driving accounts for nearly one quarter of crashes that result in a serious injury in the state.

The new cameras, which are already being used to capture speeding drivers, are able to photograph and identify drivers using phones, or not wearing seat belts.

A test of the new cameras on the Brooker Highway in Hobart last year found 339 mobile phone offences in a 43- hour period.

These offences cover drivers operating a mobile phone, holding a mobile phone, resting a mobile phone on their body or clothing, and looking at the display of a mobile phone being used by another person in the vehicle.

The new cameras will move around the state and fines will be issued following the end of the testing period.

Minister for Transport, Michael Ferguson, said the new cameras would mean drivers doing the wrong thing would be caught.

“These new cameras will be mobile and operate all around Tasmania, both day and night,” Mr Ferguson said.

“Once on-road testing is completed, drivers detected not wearing a seat belt or illegally using a mobile phone will receive a fine of $362 and three demerit points.

“Automated speed detection cameras have been in force in Tasmania since September last year, already nabbing 18,437 speedsters. Now, we are ramping up this technology to make our roads safer.”

The Tasmanian fine is lower than those issued in most other states. Western Australia and Queensland both issue $1000 fines and loss of 4 demerit points. In Victoria it is $555 and loss of 4 points and South Australia is $554. New South Wales is also only $362 but drivers there lose 5 demerit points.