From the middle of next year, mobile phone detection cameras in New South Wales will start to enforce seatbelt offences, after legislation was passed through state parliament.
The world first mobile phone detection cameras will include seatbelt compliance. It’ll take around six months for current cameras to be updated to enforce seatbelt laws.
This comes as 140 people lost their lives in fatal crashes where they were not wearing seatbelts between 2018 and 2022.
Minister for Roads John Graham said the new technology would help to save lives.
“The vast majority of motorists buckle up every time, but despite five decades of enforcement and public awareness campaigns, more than 10,000 people a year are still fined by the NSW Police for not wearing a seatbelt,” Graham said.
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“The passing of this law to activate seatbelt enforcement by the mobile phone detection cameras is a significant step towards reducing needless road trauma in NSW.”
“We’ll be letting motorists know about these changes over the next six months but due to changes as the legislation passed Parliament there will not be a warning period for drivers once the scheme gets underway.”
Minister for Regional Roads and Transport Jenny Aitchison said road safety is a shared responsibility.
“Adding the ability to detect seatbelt offences into the existing mobile phone detection cameras will save lives,” she said.
“More than 84 per cent of fatalities and two-thirds of serious injuries where people are not wearing seatbelts occur on country roads.”
To read NSW’s seatbelt laws, click here.