South Australian drivers have been fined more than $30 million in six months after being caught on camera using their mobile phones behind the wheel.
The figures, released by authorities, show that almost 47,000 drivers have been fined since new high-tech detection cameras were installed at five Adelaide locations six months ago.
Police Minister Stephen Mullighan described the level of mobile phone use among drivers as “unacceptably high” and said the cameras were proving effective in catching offenders.
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“Looking at your mobile phone while you’re driving rather than watching the road – you might as well be driving blindfolded,” Mullighan said.
The highest number of offences, almost 13,000, occurred on the North-South Motorway at Regency Park. The detection point on South Road at Torrensville was not far behind, followed by the Southern Expressway and Port Road locations.
The cameras at Port Wakefield Road at Gepps Cross recorded the fewest offences.
However, the rate at which drivers are being caught has slowed.
“It indicates that drivers are becoming aware of the dangers of distractions and that is a good thing,” Supt Shane Johnson from SA Police said.
Despite this, some drivers are still not learning their lesson. More than 600 people have been caught using their phones four or more times, with one receiving a staggering 41 fines.
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“We have an ongoing investigation into that driver,” Johnson said.
Two more cameras are expected to be operational by the end of the year, with authorities yet to confirm their locations.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
