Millions of drivers in one Aussie state have been warned new road cameras will be switched into enforcement mode with fines as high as $1,000 for breaking mobile and seatbelt road rules from next month.
From October 8, the 2.2 million drivers on Western Australian roads will face fines if they are caught using their mobile phones, speeding, or incorrectly wearing their seatbelts by the state’s new road safety cameras.
The AI-powered technology has been quickly embraced by Australian state governments and even across the world, and it was rolled out in WA on trial mode on January 26 with 275,000 drivers caught out and issued caution notices during the trial period.
Police Minister Reece Whitby said the caution period allowed drivers to adjust their behaviour without immediate financial penalties, and ending it to start issuing fines “marks a significant step forward in efforts to reduce road trauma and save lives on our roads,” he said.
He previously blasted the “mind-boggling” behaviour of drivers in the state, warning that if it didn’t change, “we are going to see revenue roll in like we’ve never seen it before.”
WA Police Minister Reece Whitby previously blasted the “mind-boggling” behaviour of Australian motorists in the west.
Today, authorities said they’ve seen a ‘notable’ decrease in offences detected by the safety cameras, with the six cameras dotted around the Perth metropolitan area, Great Southern and Mid West seeing a 60 per cent drop in mobile offences detected by the safety camera trailers, and a 33 per cent drop in those detected by fixed cameras.
“I thank those who have already changed their behaviour,” Whitby said. “Road safety is an important community issue, and it is pleasing to see Western Australian drivers doing their part to keep themselves and other road users safe.”
The state’s camera program is funded through the Road Trauma Trust Account, where 100 per cent of proceeds are allocated to projects and programs that reduce injuries and deaths on Western Australian roads.
New cutting edge road cameras will started running on a trial period on January 26. Source: Road Safety Commission/Getty
What are the fines for mobile and seatbelt offences in WA?
In Western Australia, the fines depend on the severity of the offence, starting from $500 and going as high as $1000.
Mobile phone offences:
Illegal phone use: $500 fine and 3 demerit points. This includes holding, touching or resting a phone on any part of the body.
Serious illegal phone use: $1,000 fine and 4 demerit points. This includes creating, sending, or looking at a text, email, social media, photo, video or similar
Seatbelt offences:
Unrestrained driver: $550 and 4 demerit points
Unrestrained driver with 1 unrestrained passenger: $600 and 4 demerit points
Unrestrained driver with 2 unrestrained passengers: $700 and 4 demerit points
Unrestrained driver with 3 unrestrained passengers: $800 and 4 demerit points
Unrestrained driver with 4 or more unrestrained passengers: $900 4 demerit points
Restrained driver with 1 unrestrained passenger: $550 and 4 demerit points
Restrained driver with 2 unrestrained passengers: $600 and 4 demerit points
Restrained driver with 3 unrestrained passengers: $700 and 4 demerit points
Restrained driver with 4 or more unrestrained passengers: $800 and 4 demerit points
Passenger age 16 or over unrestrained: $550
Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said that while seatbelts are known to save lives, “they must be worn and they must be worn correctly to work”.
“While more than 99 per cent of people are doing the right thing — the fact is, over the past decade on average, 20 per cent of people who died in a crash weren’t wearing a seatbelt. It’s time to wear your seatbelt properly and put the phone away.”
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