Roads in Berwick were among the top spots in the state for mobile phone and seatbelt infringements as new data reveals that cameras have nabbed tens of thousands of drivers during their first six months of enforcement.
Delivered as part of a $33.7 million investment, the distracted driver cameras have been detecting offences across the road network since 1 July 2023, using AI-enabled cameras to capture high-resolution images of drivers with images then passed to a human verifier to further assess before an infringement notice is issued.
According to the data, for Clyde Road, Berwick (between Cresthaven Boulevard and Meadowlands Way – Lane 2) there were 2398 infringements.
For Clyde Road, Berwick, between Homestead Road and Centre Road – Lane 2 – there were 1848 infringements.
While Princes Highway, Berwick, between Parkhill Drive and Berwick Brae Drive – Lane 2 – saw 1163 fines issued.
From 1 July to 30 December 2023 the cameras detected 53,105 offences, including 16,499 drivers and 6,375 passengers not wearing seatbelts, and 30,231 drivers using mobile phones.
Drivers face penalties of four demerit points and a $577 fine when caught using a mobile phone while driving, and three demerit points and a $385 fine for not wearing a seatbelt correctly.
The growing network of camera trailers regularly move around so drivers are unaware of where they will be at any given time – with the cameras monitoring motorists for around 8,000 hours each month and moving across 162 locations in rural and metropolitan areas.
According to the government, distracted driving is a major contributor to serious and fatal collisions with research showing that more than half of drivers have used a mobile phone while driving, which can increase the risk of crashing up to ten times compared to an alert driver.
More than 140 drivers and passengers killed on Victorian roads in the last five years were not wearing a seatbelt.
For more information about Victoria’s road safety cameras visit vic.gov.au/cameras-save-lives
