Traffic fines expected to increase as cameras officially trained on new traffic rule

When it comes to road fines, Australian cities take the top spot on the world stage. And those fines are expected to rise as New South Wales becomes the latest state to roll out new road camera technology.

Millions of drivers are being warned that new camera capabilities will now monitor drivers and their passengers to verify they are wearing their seat belts correctly. Starting tomorrow, July 1, anyone caught not wearing a seat belt will receive a $344 violation notice in the mail.

For the first time in the state, cell phone detection cameras will have the dual mandate of also detecting seat belt violations. It follows Queensland, which previously implemented the technology, as well as Victoria, as more jurisdictions work to beef up their traffic monitoring networks to crack down on distracted driving and other road offences.

Unlike other plans, NSW politicians voted against implementing a grace period, meaning drivers will be fined immediately without any warning letters.

“This technology is being used for other things,” NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury told Yahoo News Australia ahead of Monday’s change. “It’s a really serious issue, that people are still getting into the car and not putting their seatbelt on. Often it’s people who are intoxicated, those people who sit in the passenger seat after they’ve been drinking.”

However, mobile detection cameras and the software that supports them are far from perfect. In Queensland, a driver was unjustifiably fined $1,160 in January for the way his female passenger was wearing her seatbelt. However, as seen in the “offensive” photo captured by the roadside camera, the seatbelt simply blended in with the clothing of the woman sitting in the passenger seat. After taking the matter to court, the man eventually got the fine and four demerit points removed.

Mobile phone detection cameras now being used to detect seat belt offences in New South Wales have also yielded many false positives when detecting mobile phones. One driver was forced to pay a $387 fine after being photographed touching her sunglasses case while behind the wheel and swearing to Yahoo that it was not her phone. However, her appeal was ultimately denied by Revenue NSW.

Sydney woman Merridy Gordon was more successful recently in getting the same fine overturned after taking it to court after she was photographed holding a piece of banana bread while driving. In the end, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) was ordered to pay her $4,000 legal fees, the fine was dismissed, and her demerit points were reinstated. “They just run over people and don’t care,” she complained to Yahoo this week about the process.

Australian cities among the most expensive in the world for driving fines

In New South Wales, drivers are fined $344 and given one demerit point for each passenger not wearing a seat belt, and the demerit point is doubled if two or more passengers are not wearing a seat belt.

Government data revealed that 36 drivers or passengers, or 15 per cent of people killed on NSW roads in 2023, were not wearing a seatbelt. The numbers were starkest for people living in regional Australia, with 85 per cent of deaths and 76 per cent of serious injuries occurring in situations where someone was not wearing a seatbelt.

According to consumer comparison company Compare the Market, which analyzed the level of road fines in 24 major cities around the world, Sydney ranked fifth for the most expensive fines, in currency-adjusted terms, and Melbourne ranked fifth. 11th place. However, he did not. Let’s not look at Queensland, which recently dramatically increased road fines, meaning Brisbane would likely appear at the top of such a list.

Money raised from seatbelt cameras in New South Wales will largely be reinvested into road safety programs.

TfNSW Deputy Secretary for Safety, Environment and Regulation Sally Webb said the launch was a key initiative in the state government’s effort to reduce road deaths.

“Automatic camera enforcement, along with police enforcement, has played a critical role in addressing other high-risk behaviors on our roads, such as speeding and jumping lanes. red light traffic. These camera programs have been shown to help prevent accidents and reduce road injuries,” he told Yahoo this week.

The government’s message: “Fasten your seatbelt.”

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