The Department of Transport and Main Roads has caught more than 170,000 drivers and front-seat passengers breaking the law in the 12 months since mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras began enforcement.
The cameras took pictures of 119,862 drivers using their phones illegally and 52,542 drivers or front-seat passengers not wearing a seatbelt or wearing it incorrectly.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey said the shocking figures indicated too many Queenslanders continued to risk their lives on the roads.
“Each offender needs to ask themselves what value they place on their life — using a mobile phone while driving is as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.07-0.10,” Mr Bailey said.
“By law, you must not have your phone in your hand or resting on any part of your body, including your lap while driving, regardless of whether the phone is on or in use.”
He said all drivers had a responsibility to ensure they and their passengers were wearing a seatbelt and wearing it properly.
“Wearing a seatbelt correctly fastened and adjusted reduces the risk of serious injury in a crash by 50 per cent and death by 45 per cent,” Mr Bailey said.
“Any driver caught by the cameras can expect to receive a $1,078 fine and lose four demerit points for both mobile phone and seatbelt offences.”
He said double demerit points applied for repeat offences within a 12-month period “so if you are caught doing the wrong thing multiple times, you could face losing your licence in addition to the steep fines”.
“The message is simple. If you don’t want one of these fines, do the right thing on our roads,” Mr Bailey said.
He said the cameras could be located anywhere, anytime, across Queensland and drivers should expect to be caught if they were breaking the road rules.
