Phone cameras live as grace period reveals eye watering detection stats with over 750 offences captured a day

Adelaide drivers will now be fined if captured by new phone detection cameras. Hundreds of drivers were caught each day and 68,000 issued warnings in the three-month grace period.

Adelaide’s mobile phone detection cameras are on and fines are enforceable from today with stats from a three-month grace period revealing shocking statistics.

In total, SA Police had sent 68,252 warning notices during the grace period for mobile phone offences and 1200 people would have lost their license after receiving four or more letters.

Four drivers received more than 30 warning letters in the three months and one registered vehicle owner reportedly received 33 warning letters from SA Police.

The driver would have paid more than $21,000 in fines – and would have gotten a warning notice about every two and a half days.

Another two registered vehicle owners received 32 warning letters and another driver received 31 warning notices across the three-month grace period.

The mobile phone detection cameras have been placed across five locations – at South Rd at Torrensville, the North South Motorway at Regency Park, Port Wakefield Rd at Gepps Cross, the Southern Expressway at Darlington and Port Rd at Hindmarsh.

Any driver photographed by the mobile phone detection cameras will receive a $556 fine plus a $20 Victims of Crime levy and 3 demerit points.

Traffic Services Branch officer-in-charge Superintendent Darren Fielke said he believed the behaviour of the individuals repeatedly caught using a phone to be “the complete definition of stupidity”.

Mobile phone cameras fines kick off at 12.01am Thursday, September 19.

Supt Fielke said the message from SA Police is clear, – irresponsible drivers will be punished.

“If these people thought it’s funny or have decided to play a bit of a game with the mobile phone detection cameras to see how many warning letters they can get during this grace period – I can tell you the fun is over.

“From tonight, you’re copping a fine.”

Currently mobile phone detection cameras have been placed across five locations at South Rd at Torrensville, the North South Motorway at Regency Park, Port Wakefield Rd at Gepps Cross, the Southern Expressway at Darlington and Port Rd at Hindmarsh.

However, police said they are looking to install cameras at two other locations by early 2025.

Supt Fielke said they are exploring the possibility of portable phone detection cameras.

“We’re always looking at opportunities to enhance road safety outcomes and if that means that we explore a portable camera detection option, then that’s something we’ll look at,” he said.

“We know that other jurisdictions are using them and using them successfully … but that’s not a capability that we currently have but that’s something down the track we’d likely explore.”

In the meantime, Supt Fielke urged drivers to change their behaviour.

“Last message to driver in South Australia; leave your phone alone while driving,” he said.

“Concentrate on the task at hand. Concentrate on doing the right thing on the road and being a responsible road user for yourself, for your family, for your friends and also really importantly for other road users.”

This year on South Australian roads, there have been 59 lives lost so far, of these 21 were believed to have been lost due to distractions.

Originally published as Phone cameras live as grace period reveals eye watering detection stats with over 750 offences captured a day