Phone-addicted Queensland motorist fines top $30,000

A Queensland company or organisation copped 38 fines for using a mobile phone while driving in 12 months, while more than 4200 individual motorists were caught out multiple times failing to wear seatbelts properly over the same period.

A single Queensland motorist has been busted using their mobile phone behind the wheel a massive 31 times in just one year, racking up a hefty fine bill of more than $30,000.

And another driver has been snapped on camera on 40 occasions not wearing their seatbelt properly over the same period.

It can be revealed that in the first year the state government rolled out hi-tech offence-detection cameras on the roads, 10,893 individual drivers were caught more than once using their mobile phone.

This included 7872 motorists who were nabbed twice, 1775 who were caught out three times, another 620 drivers who were busted four times, and 626 who were fined five times or more.

A driver on their phone while waiting at traffic lights. Picture: Damian Shaw

The highest number of times an individual driver was caught on camera using their phone during the 12-month period was 31 occasions – which means they would have been hit with more than $31,000 in fines.

Beyond the individual drivers, there were also 897 companies or organisations where the drivers of their vehicles were captured on camera multiple times breaking the mobile phone rules.

This included one company or organisation that was hit with a huge 38 mobile phone fines between November 2021 and October 2022.

When it comes to seatbelts, 4287 individual motorists were caught out multiple times failing to buckle up properly over the same year-long period.

A driver pictured using their phone in Brisbane in January 2020. Picture: AAP

Among them were 3179 drivers busted twice, 641 who were caught on camera three times, another 209 nabbed four times, and 258 who were caught five times or more.

More than 300 companies or organisations were also hit with multiple infringement notices after their drivers were caught flouting the seatbelt rules, including one that was fined 18 times.

A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman said drivers could expect to be caught by the cameras “anywhere, any time”.

“These cameras are enforcement measures at high-risk locations where people have been hurt or killed in crashes involving distraction or failure to wear a seatbelt or wear it properly,” she said.

A driver photographed using their phone and not wearing a seatbelt in Queensland.

“Wearing a seatbelt correctly fastened and adjusted reduces the risk of serious injury in a crash by 50 per cent and death by 45 per cent.

“Using a mobile phone while driving is as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.07 to 0.10.”

Drivers caught using their mobile are hit with four demerit points, while those caught a second time within a year cop double the points – which means they hit the 12-point threshold.

Motorists are issued a “notice to choose” if they reach 12 points, where they can either have their licence suspended for a required period or agree to drive under a period of good behaviour for a year.