Mounted cameras already catch motorists traveling above the speed limit or cruising through a red light.
Now, an Australian state is rolling out similar tech to prosecute distracted drivers.
New South Wales Roads Minister Andrew Constance this week announced the world’s first instance of mobile phone detection cameras, rolling out to 45 undisclosed locations across the jurisdiction.
“There is no doubt [drunk] driving, as far as I’m concerned, is on par with mobile phone use, and that’s why we want everyone to be aware that you’re going to get busted doing this anytime, anywhere,” Constance told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Unlike traditional traffic enforcement systems, there will be no warning signs alerting motorists of the cameras’ presence.
“We have to unfortunately use the element of surprise to get people to think, ‘Well, I could get caught at any time,'” Constance explained. “I want behavior to change and I want it changed immediately.
“It’s not about revenue,” he added. “It’s about saving lives.”
The current penalty for using a mobile phone while driving is $344 AUD and five demerit points (via NSW Government)
During a six-month trial, two permanent cameras detected a total of 8.5 million passing cars—more than 100,000 of which were driven by someone illegally using their phone.
HD photography equipment uses artificial intelligence to spot lawbreakers—usually browsing social media or texting. In one instance, the front-seat passenger can be seen steering the car while the driver had both hands on their phone.
It’s easy to tell yourself a quick glance at your handset won’t cause any harm. But, as Constance pointed out, a car traveling at 40 mph moves about 100 feet in two seconds.
“In that time a kid could have run out in front of you, you could have run off the road, you could have hit another vehicle, you could hit a cyclist,” he said in a statement to ABC Radio Canberra’s Dan Bourchier and Adam Shirley. “The list goes on.
“It is that dangerous an activity that we’re saying no, we want people to have the element of surprise with this,” Constance said.
More than 16,500 people have been caught in 2019 illegally using their mobile phone (via NSW Government)
Not everyone likes surprises, though.
National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) spokesman Peter Khoury accused the government of using stealth to trap motorists.
The group supported tougher action against distracted driving, but demands uniformity across traffic systems.
“We want consistency when it comes to enforcing the road rules,” Khoury said on the radio. “And that means having warning signs, just like we have warning signs for speed cameras, red-light cameras, [and] safety cameras here in NSW.
“The best way to crack down on this sort of behavior is by doubling up,” he continued, advocating for enforcement and education. “The camera does the enforcing, the warning signs do the education. We want people to put their phones down. We don’t want them losing their lives.”
Once the rollout is complete in December, there will be a three-month grace period for penalties as both drivers and enforcers get acquainted with the cameras.
More on Geek.com:
- Volvo Adds In-Car Cameras to Monitor Drunk, Distracted Drivers
- Nissan Uses Faraday Cage to Combat Phone Distractions
- Audi’s Traffic Light Sensor Helps Drivers Catch ‘Green Wave’
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