Warning as 60,000 drivers caught out in 'truly disturbing' trend
60,000 drivers have been called out for putting lives at risk after new cameras caught a string of offences on Aussie roads.
Photos show drivers in a range of compromising situations, including one man who was driving while holding a baby and another holding a laptop in his hands. It comes after mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras were switched on across Perth roads on Australia Day earlier this year.
Of those captured in the images, 20,000 were not wearing seatbelts correctly, 22,000 were holding phones in their hands and almost 6,000 had no seatbelt on at all. An additional 12,000 had their phones in their laps – which is also a finable offence.
The shocking scenes have prompted WA's Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner to plead with drivers to be safer on the roads.
'Quite frankly, what we're seeing has been truly disturbing and upsetting – children and babies unrestrained in front seat, people bypassing seatbelt alarms by jerry rigging the driver's buckle, use of laptops while driving at high speeds," Warner said.
Drivers are being called on to 'take ownership' of road safety when they get behind the wheel.
'If you think this message doesn't apply to you, please think again, the power to reduce the road toll lies in all our hands," Warner said.
"The fear of getting caught shouldn't be your key reason to drive safe – Keep yourself, your family and other road users safe,' he said.
Drivers caught out will receive a caution notice informing them about the capabilities of the new technology and "give them an opportunity to change their dangerous driving behaviour" before enforcement comes into effect.
There is no set date for when the enforcement period will begin but fines for mobile phone use are as high as $1,000 and a loss of four demerit points in the state.
Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC) general manager Will Golsby previously told Yahoo News the cameras were a welcome move.
"WA is consistently one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to road safety, and last year was one of the worst for road deaths in a decade," he told Yahoo News. "RAC supports the use of road safety cameras to deter dangerous behaviour on WA roads, including the use of mobile phones while driving."
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The warning comes as double demerits come into effect across the country.
New South Wales, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory will have double demerits in place between April 17 and 21 then April 24 to 27 this year.
Meanwhile Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania are free from double demerits with normal penalties, plus extra police patrols, in place. in Queensland, double demerits are in place all year round, but police operations will ramp up over the Easter weekend.
Last year, five people lost their lives on WA roads over the Easter long weekend.
'The Road Safety Commission, together with WA Police and the Road Safety Minister are committed to targeting poor driver behaviour through behavioural change campaigns and new initiatives like the fixed and mobile safety cameras – but we need the community to wake-up and realise they are part of the solution," Warner added.
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