![\"Police](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/8cec5fafca0e31062680abfb68272ec19700612b.jpg\")
Camera IconPolice Minister Reece Whitby pictured outside Dumas House, West Perth, during a press conference on Sunday. Credit: Carwyn Monck\/The West Australian<\/p>\nReckless drivers in Perth\u2019s north will have more eyes bearing down on them from Monday when two sets of AI safety cameras are activated on Mitchell Freeway.<\/p>\n
Two sets of AI cameras will be turned on a \u2014 a previously announced row near the Vincent Street on ramp on Mitchell Freeway southbound and a newly revealed set near Karrinyup Road.<\/p>\n
Both set of cameras will monitor southbound traffic heading towards the city.<\/p>\n
The AI machines can focus on the inside of vehicles to snap offences such as wearing a seatbelt incorrectly or touching a phone while driving, although fines won\u2019t apply for those misdemeanours until December.<\/p>\n
Anyone captured speeding will be fined from the first day, with double demerits also applying during the WA Day long weekend.<\/p>\n
There are now four fixed AI cameras on Perth\u2019s freeways, with two sets already operating on Kwinana Freeway.<\/p>\n
Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said the cameras were part of the strategy to encourage good behaviour.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole point of what we\u2019re doing with double demerits, or safety cameras, new technology, is to actually get a change in behaviour and not have people paying these fines,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Camera IconPolice Minister Reece Whitby pictured outside Dumas House, West Perth, during a press conference on Sunday. Credit: Carwyn Monck\/The West Australian<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have a choice for it, do the right thing, be responsible, be safe, wear your seatbelt, don\u2019t touch your phone, don\u2019t speed, and you won\u2019t get fined.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you end up being fined it is a voluntary contribution which we will take from you and we\u2019ll reinvest back into road safety to make West Australians as safe as we can on the roads.\u201d<\/p>\n
While authorities have lauded a near 90 per cent reduction in seatbelt and phone offences detected by the AI cameras, the rollout has had detractors.<\/p>\n
Commuters have complained they have been hit with fines and demerit points for their passengers doing the wrong thing while they are focused on the road.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Almost 300 fines were handed out every day between October 8 and April 17 but over the same period more than $1 million in fines were cancelled on appeal.<\/p>\n
A review into road safety penalties is underway with Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner saying it would likely be completed in stages throughout this year and the next.<\/p>\n
One of a number of options is sending repeat offenders back to the classroom, rather than simply dishing out fines and demerits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re talking about targeted offender diversion programs, education and behaviour-change programs,\u201d Mr Warner said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that we are doing our research around what\u2019s happening around the world and other jurisdictions, we know we\u2019ve already identified some behaviour-change programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think they have a place because at the end of the day, one size doesn\u2019t fit everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
WA has endured a horrific year on the roads.<\/p>\n
So far 94 people have lost their lives, eight more than the next highest year in the past decade.<\/p>\n
Before the long weekend, when there is wild weather predicted, there were already more than 20 separate fatal crashes in May.<\/p>\n
Double demerits are in place for the WA Day long weekend, meaning drivers could be hit with up to 14 demerit points for speeding and eight for using or touching a phone.<\/p>\n
First offenders caught drink-driving with a blood alcohol reading of less than 0.08 will receive 10 demerit points. Anyone above 0.08, or a repeat offender, will appear in court.<\/p>\n
Mr Whitby said drivers had to take responsibility for their actions on the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe front seat of your car is not a sofa, it\u2019s not an excuse to sit back, put your feet up, relax, have a drink, read a book, watch a movie, which is all of the things, the extraordinary things, we\u2019ve seen in cars,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe car is a place, especially for drivers, to concentrate, to keep your mind on the road, to be aware of hazards, and to take care.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reckless drivers in Perth\u2019s north will have more eyes bearing down on them from Monday when two sets…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":702402,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44,45],"class_list":["post-702401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news","tag-wa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702401","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=702401"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702401\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/702402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=702401"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=702401"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=702401"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}