Cameras That Catch You Using Your Phone While Driving Are Supposedly Coming to NSW Roads
In a world-first move, NSW could introduce cameras to catch illegal phone use while driving.
It's about to get a whole lot harder for any NSW driver to get away with using their mobile phone while driving — and it's thanks to a world-first move by the NSW Government, which has agreed to adopt speed camera-style technology to detect the illegal behaviour.
As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the legislation giving the tech the go-ahead was passed in NSW parliament this week. It's hoped the decision to use the cameras will have a huge positive impact on the number of road fatalities — much like when breath testing was introduced back in 1982 and slashed fatal accidents by almost 50 percent.
"The community wants safer roads and better driver behaviour," NSW Minister for Roads Melinda Pavey told The Sydney Morning Herald. "Three quarters of those surveyed supported the use of cameras to enforce illegal mobile phone use."
But the technology doesn't actually exist yet. The government will now put the call-out to companies who are interested in providing the technology. Whatever that technology may be.
Most drivers will probably see this as a cash grab — fully licensed drivers are looking at a $330 fine and four demerit points if caught — but Mrs Pavey said that money raised from the camera fines will go back into a Community Road Safety Fund. And considering that the dangerous use of phones involved in 184 crashes between 2012 and 2017, it's not hard to see why the decision's got so much backing.
Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
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