South Australia’s top traffic officer is facing an internal investigation after being fined for using his mobile phone while riding his bicycle — the same offence he has spent years warning motorists and cyclists to avoid.
Superintendent Shane Johnson, who leads SAPOL’s Traffic Services Branch, was issued an expiation notice after a photo he posted to his Strava account late last year showed him taking a selfie while cycling on a suburban street.
WATCH ABOVE: SA’s top traffic cop fined for mobile use while cycling
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In the image, supplied to the Adelaide Advertiser, Johnson is smiling, wearing a helmet and goggles, with one hand on the handlebars and the other holding his phone in front of him.
Under South Australian road rules, cyclists are subject to the same mobile phone restrictions as drivers.
Shane Johnson has been fined for using his mobile to take a photo of himself while cycling Credit: The Advertiser
The incident has now triggered a conduct investigation, with the matter referred to SAPOL’s Ethical and Professional Standards Branch.
Police confirmed the Police Commissioner authorised the release of information about the complaint under the Police Complaints and Discipline Act.
Johnson fronted the media on Tuesday afternoon, issuing a personal statement in which he accepted “full responsibility” for the breach.
“I acknowledge I have done the wrong thing and accept the consequences,” he said.
He explained he had just completed a six‑and‑a‑half‑hour, 202km training ride with friends on October 18 and was less than 100 metres from home when he took the photo.
“I was riding at just a few kilometres an hour in a back street with no other vehicles present when I took the picture,” he said.
“However, this is not an excuse for my lapse in judgement. No one is immune from road traffic laws.”
Johnson said the incident reinforced the importance of staying alert and avoiding distractions, adding that even experienced road users can make mistakes.
The internal investigation remains ongoing.
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