South Australian drivers will be given a three-month “educational period” as new mobile phone detection cameras are officially switched on.
Over a three-month testing phase, SAPOL said it made 71,044 detections from 6,794,050 vehicles — which it equated to 1.05 per cent of motorists using mobile phones behind the wheel.
Under the grace period which will run from June 19 to September 18, drivers detected on the cameras will receive a warning letter instead of a fine or lost demerit points.
From September 19, offending drivers will face an expiation notice of $540, plus a $99 victims of crime levy and three demerit points.
Officer in Charge of SAPOL Traffic Support Branch Superintendent Darren Fielke said the grace period only applied to offences detected by the new cameras.
“People caught by police illegally using their mobile devices when driving will still be required to pay a fine,” Superintendent Fielke said.
“We have seen, from other jurisdictions, a significant change in behaviour of people not using their mobile phones after the introduction of mobile phone detection cameras so, by introducing these cameras to high-risk areas, we hope this will contribute to improving driver behaviour.”
Police said recent changes to the Australian Road Rules had broadened the definition of using a mobile phone to include circumstances where a mobile phone was being held, including in a driver’s lap.
