State-of-the-art road safety cameras will target Victorian mobile phone use among drivers, and people not wearing seatbelts.
The cameras, which are now operating, use artificial intelligence to review images and detect potential infringements. Trained personnel will verify the infringements and Victoria Police will issue fines and demerit points.
It is estimated that the camera technology will prevent 95 crashes resulting in injury or death each year.
“Using mobile phones behind the wheel puts lives at risk and can result in tragedy,” says Victoria’s Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines. “We’re deterring this type of risky behaviour on our roads with new phone and seatbelt detection technology.”
The cameras are operating in Queensland and New South Wales.
A pilot program in New South Wales between January and June 2019 detected more than 100,000 drivers using their mobile phones illegally.
The cameras were rolled out in December 2019 and warning letters were issued during an initial three-month grace period.
The program in Victoria will follow a similar path. Two mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras began operating on 31 March. Drivers will be issued with advisory letters for the first three months and encouraged to change their mobile habits.
Additional cameras are expected to be rolled out from mid-2023 and deployed at up to 200 sites across metropolitan and regional Victoria for several days at a time.
The locations will be based on factors such as crash history, existing enforcement options and environmental suitability and will be published on the Cameras Saves Lives website.
The introduction of the cameras is $33.7M investment and part of a broader effort to tackle distracted driving on Victoria’s roads.
Stricter rules were implemented on March 31, which extend mobile phone rules to cover modern technology such as built-in vehicle systems, mounted devices and wearable and portable devices such as smartwatches and tablets.
A two-second glance at a device means you are travelling blind for 28 metres while driving in a 50kmh zone – and the distance jumps to 55 metres when travelling at 100kmh.
"Any moment we're distracted when driving is dangerous and these new rules are in place to protect the lives of Victorians,” says Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne.
The new rules apply to not just motorists but bike riders, too.
Penalties for distracted driving include four demerit points and a $555 fine.
The full details are available here.