Fifteen mobile phone detection cameras to be installed on SA roads ‘as quickly as possible’

SA’s top cop has revealed what’s next in plans to install another 15 mobile phone detection cameras after a major state budget splurge on law and order.

SA Police have busted thousands of drivers using their phones since the installment of mobile phone detection cameras. Pictures: SA Police.

Fifteen more mobile phone detection cameras will be installed across South Australia as quickly as possible after a $46.8m state budget splurge on road safety, the police commissioner says.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said he “welcomed” the extraordinary funding being directed into law and order sectors, which he said would “provide much needed relief to frontline officers” who were operating in “challenging circumstances”.

“The funding has been provided for 15 additional mobile phone detection cameras,” Mr Stevens said.

“Those sites have not yet been selected – that will be some of the early work that occurs now that the funding has been allocated.”

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens responds to the State Budget law and order splurge. Picture: Brett Hartwig.

Mr Stevens said SA Police was also considering of upgrading the cameras.

“Technology is changing all the time so there is a potential that mobile phone detection cameras could be delivered in a different format to what we’re currently seeing,” he said.

“Currently we need gantry’s across the road to place those cameras but we’ll be exploring the different technology opportunities and see where that might take us in terms of the budget allocation that currently exists.”

Mobile phone detection camera and gantry at Port Road, Hindmarsh Picture: RoyVPhotography

It comes after five cameras were installed on the Southern Expressway at Darlington, on South Rd at Torrensville, on the North-South Motorway at Regency Park, on Port Rd at Hindmarsh and on Port Wakefield Rd at Gepps Cross.

Mr Stevens said there was already “strong evidence of the impact of these cameras in their existing locations” and police would be be aiming to roll out the new cameras “as quickly as possible”.

In April, SA Police revealed more than $30 million in fines and levies had been issued in the first six months after mobile phone detection cameras were introduced on Adelaide roads.

More than 46,400 drivers had been pinged at the time, police said.

Originally published as Fifteen mobile phone detection cameras to be installed on SA roads ‘as quickly as possible’