Queensland’s new camera has recorded more than 100,000 violations over the past six months for using a mobile phone and not using a seatbelt.
Between November 1, 2021, and May 25, 2022, a total of 100,375 infringement notices were issued based on images taken by these cameras.
Although most of these (71,596) were for mobile phone use, 13,651 violation notices were issued for drivers not wearing seatbelts and 15,128 for passengers who did not wear seatbelts.
“It simply came to our notice then. If you do wrong, drive erratically or don’t fasten your seatbelts, you’ll run into a lot of problems, “said Mark Bailey, Queensland’s Minister for Transport and Main Roads.
Mr Bailey said issuing more than 71,500 breach notices for mobile phone use was like having 71,500 drunk drivers on the road with an alcohol level of 0.07 to 0.10 in their blood.
He also called the number of seatbelt crimes “shocking.”
“Seatbelts have been considered mandatory for 50 years, and in just 6 months, about 29,000 people have been caught doing the wrong thing,” he said.
“It simply came to our notice then. [We’ve] You just have to be more discriminating with the help you render toward other people.
“Everywhere, at any time, they roam, some of them are overpassed, some of them are mobile, we move them regularly.
“If you are one of those people who is driving in confusion, you will be caught. There is no doubt about it. And it will hurt. “
The Queensland government does not publicize how many new cameras there are or where they are located, in contrast to its fixed and mobile speed camera network.
Mr Bailey said they were located across regional and south-east Queensland and their numbers were growing.
Cameras use AI technology to scan pictures of mobile phones or to scan pictures of missing or incorrectly worn seatbelts – yes, you can be fined if your seatbelt is fastened but the belt is, for example, sitting under your hand.
If AI technology detects a crime, the image is flagged and a member of the Transport and Main Roads (TMR) team looks at the image to confirm that a crime has occurred.
If there is any doubt, notice of violation is not issued. But if a notice is issued and the driver thinks they have been wrongly fined, they can view a high-resolution image through the TMR portal.
The state government announced earlier this year that fines for seatbelt offenses had been increased from July 1 to $ 1078 and four demerit points – to $ 413 and three points.
It originally lined up with a $ 1033 fine for using a mobile phone while driving in Queensland, including four demerit points.
You will still get three demerit points for running Red, but the fine has been increased from $ 413 to $ 575.
The government is also rapidly increasing fines.
Exceeding the speed limit of 1-10km / h will be fined $ 287, although it will still be a single demerit point. It is currently $ 183 and the bracket is up to 12 km / h.
Similarly, crossing the 11-20km / h (instead of 13-20km / h) limit you will get $ 275 and তিনটি 431 fine from three demerit points and three demerit points.
Other brackets are unchanged, similar to the amount of similar demerit points, but the penalties are as follows:
- 21-30km / h: Increased from $ 459 to $ 646 (four demerit points)
- 31-40km / h: Increased from $ 643 to $ 1078 (six demerit points)
- 40 km / h: Increased from $ 1286 to 1653 (eight demerit points, six months license suspension)
The death toll on Queensland’s roads now stands at 133 in 2022.
Punishment changes are part of the recently published Queensland Road Safety Strategy 2022-31 which has a vision of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.
Prior to that, it aimed to reduce 50 percent of deaths by 2031 and 30 percent of serious road injuries by 2031.
The Queensland government says “every cent” collected from fines is reinvested in road safety.
It has spent $ 1.7 billion this year on road safety upgrades, improved driver education, and other initiatives to make schools safer and reduce road accidents and trauma.
As part of its strategy details, it plans to trial the Grameen Intersection Activated Warning Sign, install a “smart solution” to monitor driver fatigue, further develop camera technology to select risky behaviors, and review existing speed limits.
The government wants to explore mandatory telematics technology for heavy vehicles and focus on reducing the age of the Queensland fleet, including potential pilots of the “Targeted Safe Vehicle Access Program” for young, old and low-income people.
The current average car age in Queensland is 10.4 years.
The first step in the strategy involves “using open data sources to target specific groups of road users”, known as “dub in a hun”.