The fifth mobile phone detection camera has been switched on along the busy Port Road in a on-going effort to stamp out driver distractions.
As part of a $15 million investment by the state government to reduce road trauma, mobile phone cameras have been installed at key locations including South Rd in Torrensville, the Southern Expressway in Darlington, the North-South Motorway in Regency Park, and Port Wakefield Rd in Gepps Cross.
Four additional cameras will be installed at two undisclosed locations, bringing the total to six new installations.
Testing of the mobile phone detection cameras is currently underway and will continue until June 19, when the cameras officially begin recording.
A three-month grace period will operate between June to September this year where drivers will receive a warning letter from SA Police, but no fines or demerit points will be issued.
After September 19, drivers who illegally use their mobile phone will be hit with a hefty $540 fine, $99 victims of crime levy, and three demerit points.
The $15.9 million initiative aims to curb the trend of mobile phone use while driving, which has been identified as a contributing factor in numerous fatal accidents.
Almost 5,000 South Australian drivers were caught using their phones by mobile phone detection cameras last year, with a total of 4,955 incidents detected from 415,805 vehicles between April 1 and April 28.
The use of photographic and video evidence from detection cameras serves as a deterrent against distracted driving, with the cameras working to capture high quality images from multiple angles through the driver’s windscreen.
Inattention continues to be a contributing factor in around half of all lives lost and over a third of serious injuries on South Australian roads, underscoring the critical importance of addressing distracted driving.
For more information about phone detection, click here.
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