Speed cameras in the Illawarra may be used by the government to catch motorists using their mobile phones.
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Earlier this month, Premier Gladys Berejiklian launched the Road Safety Plan 2021.
An effort to curb the road toll, the plan includes forcing mid-range drink-drivers to have an “interlock” device fitted to their car.
Drivers would have to blow into a breathalyser device and, if detects alcohol, the car would not start.
Also in the suite of reforms was a plan to use cameras already installed on roads and bridges to catch drivers using their mobile phone while driving.
READ MORE: The costs of driving with a takeaway coffee
Ms Berejiklian said this approach would be trialled and legislation would be passed to allow that to occur.
It is understood that speed cameras could be included in this trial.
With the trial yet to start, Transport for NSW did not comment on whether it would look to use speed cameras in the Illawarra to nab people using their mobile phones illegally.
“We are currently developing legislative changes to allow camera-based technologies to enforce mobile phone offences,” said the Centre of Road Safety’s executive director Bernard Carlon.
Mr Carlon said even a brief glance at a mobile phone can be dangerous – a car travelling at 60km/h covers 33 metres in two seconds, meaning a motorist is effectively driving blind.
The expectation is that using speed cameras in this fashion will increase safety.
“Technological advances in camera enforcement will allow us to save more lives on our roads. We know that being distracted increases your risk of a crash,” he said.
“We need to make sure that when the technology is ready our legislation will be flexible enough to support it.”