Drastic call after mobile cameras catch repeat offenders: 'Tough measures'

As deaths rise to record new heights on our roads, motorists are being warned they may soon face having their mobile phones confiscated in a bid to clamp down on distracted driving.

The warning comes as road fatalities in Western Australia hit an eight-year high, with the loss of a 39-year-old overnight marking the 118th death in the state this year alone.

Scrambling to combat the worsening issue, transport officials in WA said six additional mobile phone detection cameras should be rolled out by the end of the year. But as state authorities prepare to meet, nothing is off the table – that includes drastic measures such as confiscating phones from repeat offenders caught using them behind the wheel.

WA considers drastic action to combat dangerous driving

Safety advocates say a tougher response is needed to send a message about the perils of distracted driving, by potentially finding a solution that would see people forced to lock away their phone while behind the wheel.

Former Road Safety Council chair Murray Lampard is among those backing the idea to confiscate phones. "If they had the fear of losing their phone that's so important to them, I think they would think twice about using it whilst on the road," he told 9News.

"It's time we actually started to take tough measures for the tough times ahead."

The idea is set to be discussed at WA's road safety summit next month and shows the desperation of road authorities across the country. The rising road death toll is not unique to WA, with the last year in Australia the deadliest on our roads in more than a decade.

A 10.2 per cent spike in deaths in the year to July 31 meant 1,327 people were killed on Australian roads, a figure that hadn't been achieved since October 2012.

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Meanwhile Premier Roger Cook insisted six mobile phone detection and seatbelt cameras were due to be in action by the end of the year – joining many other states in ramping up its roadside camera network.

"The government is doing everything we can. Strong investment, strong road safety campaigns and of course there's no shortage of ideas," Premier Roger Cook said. "We need to sit round the table and continue to collate those ideas."

During a recent six month trial on WA roads, the cameras caught a driver using their phone every four minutes.

According to Road Safety Minister David Michael, some 66,787 "verified mobile phone offences" were picked up during the trial period but a legislative change was required before authorities could begin enforcing fines.

Death toll on Aussie roads 'an unacceptable trend'

A total of five Australian jurisdictions had an increase in deaths in the year to July 31 compared to the previous 12-month window, including a staggering 174 per cent jump in the Northern Territory. Sixty-three people died in the NT in the period, compared to 23 in the window before.

NSW had a hefty 17.1 per cent jump, while Victoria's road toll spiked 9.3 per cent. South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT were the only jurisdictions where the road toll fell.

The decade-long National Road Safety Strategy that aimed to halve road deaths by 2030 was nowhere near meeting its objectives, Australian Automobile Association managing director Michael Bradley said.

Since the strategy was implemented in 2021, road deaths had increased 17.4 per cent, Bradley said.

"We are losing 110 lives each month and heading in the wrong direction at alarming speed," he said. "These latest figures are not some kind of one-off, they represent an unacceptable trend."

Comparing year-on-year figures, it has been more than three years since Australia had a decline in road deaths.

with AAP

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