Phone and seatbelt detection cameras coming to Victoria after two-year trial

Victorian drivers have been put on notice with the State Government announcing new portable camera units – able to detect mobile phone and seatbelt offences – will soon be deployed across the state after the two-year trial of the technology.

Three mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras will be in operation by mid-2023 – and a total of six planned in the coming years – with the project coming at a cost of $33.7 million to the state.

Each portable unit uses two high-resolution cameras and infrared lighting technology – which works day or night – and combines it with artificial intelligence (AI) software analysing each photo to determine whether drivers are using a handheld mobile phone and wearing a seatbelt.

If the AI software detects the driver doing something wrong, the photo is automatically flagged for review by human eye – otherwise, the image is rejected.

The rollout follows the introduction of phone-detection camera technology in NSW and Queensland. Other states and territories are due to follow.

The minimum fine in Victoria for not wearing a seatbelt is $370, while offences for using a mobile phone illegally start from $555 and come with a penalty of four demerit points.

The Victorian Government has announced there will be a three-month grace period in which drivers will be sent a warning letter rather than receiving a fine and demerit points.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told Drive phone detection cameras – mounted on a small trailer similar to portable lighting towers used in works zones – will be deployed at more than 200 sites across Victoria for several days at a time, with each unit able to detect offences across at least two lanes of traffic.

Following Victorian trials that began in July 2020, statistics show approximately 2 per cent of motorists photographed over a two-month period were found to be distracted while driving.

MORE: Victoria expands driver distraction laws to keep up with technology

As reported previously by Drive, the camera technology was invented by an Australian engineering graduate after his friend was killed on a bicycle by a driver suspected of using a mobile phone at the time.

According to authorities, research shows those using a mobile phone while behind the wheel of a car are four times more likely to cause a fatal road accident.

This week, the Victorian Government announced revised rules for drivers electronic devices – including mobile phones, smart watches, and in-built infotainment systems.