Police in the Australian state of New South Wales will start rolling out mobile phone detection cameras in a bid to stop drivers from engaging in this distracting, and potentially extremely dangerous, activity.
Local authorities recently conducted a six-month pilot of the cameras that scanned more than 8.5 million vehicles and busted over 100,000 drivers using their phones while behind the wheel.
New South Wales roads minister Andrew Constance has confirmed that the government will introduce 45 Mobile Phone Detection Cameras across the state by December. Each unit contains two cameras. The first takes a photo of a vehicle’s registration plate, while the second camera looks through the vehicle’s windscreen and determines what the driver is doing with their hands.
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Artificial intelligence is used to exclude drivers who are not using their phones. Should the camera snap a picture of a driver using their hands for something other than steering, a photo is taken and then verified by a person before an infringement notice is sent to the vehicle’s registered owner. The fine for using a cell phone while driving is $344 AUD ($232 USD).
“There is no doubt drink-driving as far as I’m concerned is on a 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 Nine News.
Not only will the cameras be in fixed locations throughout the state, but they can also be deployed on police vehicles to catch even more distracted drivers on the move.
