For the past eight months, six mobile camera trailers scattered throughout the state, along with three stationary cameras on the Kwinana Freeway, have been monitoring drivers on a trial basis. This trial period drew to a close on October 7, ushering in a new phase where violations began to incur significant penalties. In just a month following the end of this grace period, authorities issued fines amounting to a staggering $13 million.

The funds collected from these fines are being channeled back into initiatives aimed at enhancing road safety, a move that underscores the dual purpose of this enforcement—deterring unsafe driving practices while investing in safer roads.

Reece Whitby, the Road Safety Minister, explained the process behind these fines, noting that the AI-powered system initially flags potential offenses. “If the AI system believes there is an offense, then two humans will look at those photos and make a judgment,” Whitby stated. This approach ensures that every violation is reviewed with a human touch, adding a layer of accuracy and fairness to the system.

The data from these cameras reveal a troubling trend: over 12,000 motorists were caught using their mobile phones while driving, and around 10,000 drivers were found not wearing seatbelts. These figures highlight the ongoing challenges in promoting adherence to basic road safety laws, even as technology steps in to aid enforcement efforts.

More than 12,000 motorists were caught using their mobile phones and about 10,000 drivers were snapped without a seatbelt.

“It’s beyond mind-boggling why anyone would not put on a seatbelt on,” Whitby said.

“For goodness sake, please, please exercise caution, be responsible.”

Images of drivers eating cereal, painting their nails and using nail clippers were just some of the offences caught on camera.

One driver was seen using her phone while her passenger steered the car.

Most shocking of all, a truck driver was snapped driving at 100km/h with no seatbelt, with a mobile phone in one hand and a clipboard-shaped object in the other.

“People are normalising the car as an extension of their home, when you see some of these activities,” University of Western Australia Professor Teresa Senserrick said.

Authorities hope the cameras can help change driver behaviour as the state approaches its worst year of road fatalities in almost a decade.

Academics at the WA Centre for Road Safety Research at UWA hope a new high-tech driving simulator can help prove just how dangerous these distractions can be.

“It’s usually fractions of seconds that are the difference between either being able to avoid a crash or at least being in a low-impact crash,” Senserrick said.