Recurring road act about to cost 80 Aussie drivers their licence: 'Disgraceful behaviour'

South Australia began issuing a penalty of $556 from offences discovered by mobile phone detection cameras a little over a month ago.

Drivers in South Australia are largely heeding advice and staying off their phones behind the wheel, but up to 80 may soon lose their licences after multiple detections on cameras in the last month. Source: SAPOL
Drivers in South Australia are largely heeding advice and staying off their phones behind the wheel, but up to 80 may soon lose their licences after multiple detections on cameras in the last month. Source: SAPOL

Police say they're happy with how drivers have responded to new mobile phone detection cameras in one state, reporting a decrease in the number of people caught doing the wrong thing behind the wheel in the month since enforcement began.

But, they say, there are still some that are failing to get the message, with a staggering 80 motorists clocked "four or more times" using their devices while driving from September 19 to October 18.

In South Australia, the rate of expiation notices being issued to offenders has averaged averaged 0.23 per cent compared to 0.42 per cent for the last 30 days of the three-month warning period, police say. Last month, the cameras were turned on permanently after operating in test mode since June.

Some offenders were detected on cameras on their phones behind the wheel an incredible fifteen times in the last month alone. Source: SAPOL
Some offenders were detected on cameras on their phones behind the wheel an incredible fifteen times in the last month alone. Source: SAPOL

Superintendent Darren Fielke said the new figures suggest penalties have helped land the message for phone-wielding drivers to change their behaviour, but dozens still risk losing their licences.

"SA Police began issuing a penalty of $556 plus a $102 Victims of Crime Levy and three demerit points from offences detected by mobile phone detection cameras a little over a month ago," he said.

"After much education and a three-month grace period, declining averages of offences show most habitual mobile phone offenders have finally put their phones down or have been taken off the road after too many demerit point deductions.

"We recently reported in only the first week, 2544 motorists were detected, and we hope these people have learned an important lesson. The goal for mobile phone detection cameras in SA is to make roads safer by changing road user behaviour, and recent data certainly indicates people are thinking twice now."

Of the 80 vehicles detected with a driver on their phone, one will be issued with a whopping 15 expiation notices, one will be issued with 11, one will be issued with 10, three will be issued with nine and three will be issued with eight.

Two will be issued with seven expiation notices, 10 will be issued with six, 13 will be issued with five and 46 will be issued with four.

"Unfortunately, these numbers show that we still have some drivers out there that are not heeding the message and placing themselves and other road users at risk," Superintendent Fielke added.

"These drivers will pay a high price financially and will lose their licence. We can only hope that is all that is lost, and it is not a life lost due to their irresponsible behaviour."

Mobile phone detection cameras are in place across five high-risk locations, monitoring 13 lanes. All five locations have warning signs installed. Two other camera locations are currently being considered and expected to be installed in early 2025.

Officers said during the three month grace period, police sent out an incredible 68,252 warning letters for phone offences. If fines had been issued during this period it would have totalled an astonishing $45 million in just three months. From today, authorities are now expected to rack up millions in fines by the end of the year.

One driver received a staggering 33 letters, two received 32 warning letters and one received 31 letters. "That is just disgraceful behaviour," the state's Police Commissioner Grant Stevens earlier told media of repeat offenders.

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