Liam McNally
Locations of 17 mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras have been revealed by the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS).
The new technology detects and captures when drivers use mobile phones and when people in the front seats are not wearing seatbelts.
Cameras went live on March 31, coinciding with expansion and clarification of rules for mobile phones
Cameras are located at the following Melton locations:
Black Dog Drive Brookfield
Brooklyn Road Brookfield
Calder Freeway Diggers Rest
Calder Park Drive Hillside
Centenary Avenue Melton
Centenary Avenue Melton West
Coburns Road Melton
Gisborne-Melton Road Kurunjang
Gisborne-Melton Road Melton
Hume Drive Taylors Hill
Melton Highway Melton
Melton Highway Plumpton
Rockbank Middle Road Caroline Springs
Western Freeway Melton
Western Freeway Rockbank
Westwood Drive Burnside
Westwood Drive Caroline Springs
A DJCS spokesperson said Victoria’s road safety camera program plays a “critical role in changing driver behaviour, preventing road trauma and saves lives”.
“This new legislation ensures cameras can now tackle the growing risk of drivers being distracted by mobile devices or not wearing seatbelts,” they said.
Driver distraction is estimated to be the contributing factor in 11 per cent of road fatalities and the cause of over 400 serious injuries per year.”
There will be a three-month advisory period for drivers caught by the cameras to provide drivers an opportunity to change how they interact with mobile devices before Victoria Police start issuing fines and applying demerit points.
However, this only applies if an individual has been detected by the camera, and police can still issue fines if they catch drivers in person.
Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Glenn Weir said using a mobile phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt can have serious consequences.
“Police will continue to conduct enforcement initiatives and engage with the community about the impact of distraction and dangers of failing to wear a seatbelt.”
Failure to wear a seatbelt will result in a $370 fine and three demerit points, and if caught using a mobile phone while driving a $555 fine will be issued and four demerit points.
Victoria Police predicted 95 casualty crashes will be prevented each year due to the roll-out of the cameras.
Camera locations will be published on the Cameras Save Lives website.
Details: www.camerassavelives.vic.gov.au/
Zoe Moffatt and Liam McNally
