An Australian state is attempting to persue people to put down ir smartphones while driving by rolling out cameras to prosecute distracted motorists. New South Wales Ros Minister Andrew Constance said Monday that Australia’s most populous state is first jurisdiction in world to use such techlogy to punish drivers distracted by social media, text messs or phone calls. Ro safety experts are alarmed at growing prevalence of accidents involving drivers using smartphones on New South Wales ros. Experts say drivers who illegally use phones increase ir chances of an accident four-fold.

“re is doubt drink-driving as far as I’m concerned is on a par with mobile phone use, and that’s why we want everyone to be aware that you’re going to get busted doing this anytime, anywhere,” Constance told Australian Brocasting Corp.

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Mobile Phone Detection Cameras

government intends to roll out 45 Mobile Phone Detection Cameras across state by December, he said. In fact, each unit contains two cameras. One camera photographs a car’s registration plate and a second high-set lens looks down through windscreen and can see what drivers are doing with ir hands. units use artificial intelligence to exclude drivers who are t touching ir phones. Photos that show suspected illegal behaviour are referred for verification by human eyes before an infringement tice is sent to vehicle’s registered owner along with a 344 Australian dollar ($232) fine.

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Some cameras will be permanently fixed on rosides and ors will be placed on trailers and moved around state. A six-month trial of two fixed cameras this year checked 8.5 million vehicles and detected more than 100,000 drivers with ir hands on phones, including one driver who was using a phone and iP simultaneously. Ar driver h a passenger steer while y both held phones, government said. government wants to expand program to 135 million checks a year by 2023. New South Wales has 5.2 million registered vehicles.

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'It could prevent 100 fatal and serious injuries over five years'

National Ros and Motorists’ Association spokesman Peter Khoury, a leing vocate for ro users, accused government of using stealth to crack down on illegal phone use. While association supported tougher action against drivers distracted by phones, it wanted signs warning motorists that phone detection cameras were operating in an area, as happens with speed cameras in state. Government modelling found that phone detection cameras could prevent 100 fatal and serious injuries over five years.

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annual state ro toll in New South Wales fell by 35 deaths to 354 last year. Police said more than 16,500 drivers h been fined for illegally using phones so far this year. Drivers are allowed to use phones in hands-free crles and through Bluetooth. But it is illegal to touch a phone while driving except to pass it to a passenger. ban even applies to drivers who are stationary at red lights or stuck in traffic jams. Constance said his government was relaxing law to allow drivers to legally pay with ir phones at restaurant drive-throughs.

(Disclaimer: Except for heline, or changes were me to original AP story)