Almost 15,000 drivers fined for using their mobile phone during first two months of new cameras

More than $288,000 worth of fines are being dished out every day from new hi-tech cameras catching out reckless motorists.

More than $288,000 worth of fines are being dished out every day from new hi-tech cameras catching out reckless Queensland motorists using their mobile phones or failing to wear a seatbelt while behind the wheel.

In the first two months the cameras were operational, a massive 14,856 fines were given to drivers busted using their phone – the equivalent of 243 every day.

During the same period, 5790 fines were also issued to motorists caught on camera breaching the state’s seatbelt rules.

It means more than $15.3 million in fines were given out to drivers flouting the mobile phone road rule over the two-month period.

And about $2.3 million in penalties were dished out to those caught breaching seatbelt laws.

The total fines handed out averaged over $288,000 a day.

Nearly 15,000 fines have been issued for mobile phone use behind the wheel.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said he had zero sympathy for drivers nabbed breaking the rules, saying motorists should buckle up or put the phone down if they didn’t want a fine.

“We know many Queenslanders hit the road during the school holidays so to see this many people doing the wrong thing is incredibly concerning,” he said.

“We’ll be rolling more cameras out across Queensland as part of this program, so if you’re using your phone, expect to be caught anywhere, anytime.”

Mr Bailey described the number of seatbelt infringements as “bewildering”, pointing to the 43 people who were unrestrained when they lost their lives in crashes in 2020.

“For more than 40 years we’ve been educating people on wearing seatbelts,” the Minister said.

“And yet almost 100 people a day were snapped doing the wrong thing in the first two months of our cameras going live.

“The first thing you should be doing before you turn the ignition is clip up.”

Transport Minister Mark Bailey

The cameras began issuing fines from November 1, following a three-month period grace period when only warning notices were given out.

Under the current rules, the penalty for using a mobile phone behind the wheel is a $1033 fine and four demerit points, while the seatbelt penalty is a $413 fine and three demerit points.

All funds raised through the cameras will be spent on road safety initiatives and education.

Mr Bailey said 32 people had already lost their lives on Queensland roads since the start of the year, as he urged drivers to heed the warnings before they got behind the wheel.

“On average 29 people are killed and 1284 seriously injured each year on Queensland roads as a result of crashes where driver distraction played a part,” he said.

Originally published as Almost 15,000 drivers fined for using their mobile phone during first two months of new cameras