Drivers caught using their phone behind the wheel will no longer receive mercy from police in one Australian state who until recently were only handing out warnings.
Motorists in South Australia will soon be fined $556 and docked three demerit points if they are spotted using their phones by mobile phone detection cameras.
Police have been trialling the new cameras throughout 2024 and have warned drivers they will be fined following a three-month grace period.
The grace period officially ends on Tuesday, September 19.
The cameras are part of a $16million plan to reduce road deaths in SA with the first first mobile phone detection devices introduced in January.
In a two-month trial earlier this year 71,044 drivers were caught using their phones while driving, with a secondary trial catching another 31,000 motorists in July.
South Australian motorists will soon be slugged with a $556 fine and three demerit points if they are caught using a mobile phone while driving (pictured)
Traffic Services Branch Superintendent Darren Fielke said the results of the trials had been disappointing.
The cameras recorded at least one distracted motorist driving with their mobile phone less than every two minutes - this shows the extent of the issue relating to distraction we have on our roads, Superintendent Fielke said.
We are giving South Australian drivers ample opportunity to change their driver behaviour and stop using a mobile phone while they are driving through this grace period.
Distraction, including mobile phone use, is a significant contributor to crashes of all types on our roads.
Drivers who are not getting the message need to change their driving behaviour very quickly, or they’ll lose their licence, which in some cases could be their livelihood, or worst of all kill themselves or another innocent road user.