Road safety cameras to start issuing fines, three demerit points from Monday, August 21

Tasmanian motorists who flout the law by using their mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt while behind the wheel will from today face an immediate fine if they’re snapped by the state’s new enforcement cameras. Details on the new penalties here.

A photo taken from the new Tasmanian road safety cameras, which detect speeding, seat belt and mobile phone use.

Penalties from new mobile phone and seatbelt enforcement cameras are about to go live as fines replace warnings for offences detected by their ever-watching sensors.

Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson said the presence of the automated cameras was already having an effect – with reports that average speeds on the state’s roads are already showing a measurable decrease.

Mr Ferguson, Road Safety Advisory Council Chair Scott Tilyard, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Tasmania Police Stuart Wilkinson and RACT CEO Mark Mugnaioni showed off two of the cameras before they were put in position on Monday.

“The new mobile phone and seatbelt cameras will be located at hundreds of approved sites around Tasmania and operate both day and night and in all weather conditions,” Mr Ferguson said.

“Just like our mobile speed cameras, they can be anywhere and at any time.

Images taken from new Tasmanian road safety camera which detect speeding, seat belt and mobile phone use.

“These cameras are important because distraction and seatbelt noncompliance are a factor in 24 and nine per cent respectively of Tasmania’s fatal and serious injury crashes.

“If you are caught not wearing a seatbelt or illegally using your phone, you will receive a $390 fine and three demerit points.”

The government has launched a stage of their public education campaign ‘Click. Store. Go’ to coincide with the enforcement phase of the rollout.

It is intended to motivate motorists to click on their seatbelt and store their phone before they go driving.

Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson announces the commencement of new mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras on Parliament Lawns in Hobart on Monday, August 21, 2023.

RSAC Chair Scott Tilyard said 18 people had died on the state’s roads so far this year despite all that has been done to reduce the factors that lead to crashes.

“Distraction and seatbelt noncompliance is a contributing factor in 24 and 9 per cent respectively of Tasmania’s fatal and serious injury crashes.

“The increased use of mobile phones while driving is a type of distraction that has the biggest impact on driving behaviour.

“Evidence shows distraction caused by mobile phones can impair performance in a number of ways, notably braking reaction time, reaction to traffic signals, ability to keep in the correct lane, shorter following distances, and an overall reduction in awareness of what is happening around you.”

Mr Tilyard said it was hard to believe that some people were still not wearing seatbelts – despite it being well known that they reduce fatalities in crashes by half.

Originally published as Road safety cameras to start issuing fines, three demerit points from Monday, August 21