Victorians are being urged to get back to the basics of safe driving and remove any potential distractions, as new data shows a ‘shocking number of drivers’ not obeying the road rules.
Leading the call, Minister for Police, Anthony Carbines said initial data from the State’s new mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras showed almost 3,000 Victorians had been detected not wearing seatbelts or driving while using a mobile phone.
“During their first month of operation, the cameras have detected 2,993 offences, including 1,606 drivers and 225 passengers not wearing seatbelts and 1,162 drivers using mobile phones,” Mr Carbines said.
“The cameras began operation in April this year, using two high-tech AI cameras to capture high-resolution images of vehicles – including during poor weather and low light when distracted driving is even more dangerous,” he said.
“Drivers are being issued with an advisory letter throughout the three month grace period until 30 June to ensure they have an opportunity to heed safety warnings and adjust their behaviour before enforcement begins on 1 July.”
Mr Carbines said that once the grace period ended, drivers would face penalties of four demerit points and a $577 fine if caught using a mobile phone while driving, and a $385 fine for not wearing a seatbelt correctly.
He said the new rules extended current mobile phone laws to cover modern technologies like in-built vehicle systems, mounted devices, wearable devices (such as smartwatches) and portable devices (such as mobile phones and tablets).
Further information on the new road rules can be accessed at this PS News link.
