Cameras that can detect whether a driver is using a mobile phone have started popping up around NSW, and from July 1 they will be used to charge people, after a law change takes effect.
According to the Facebook page Humans of Bankstown, one such camera popped up recently on the corner of Stacey Street and the Hume Highway. Others will appear in the coming weeks.
Drivers caught using a mobile phone while driving will be fined $330 and lose four demerit points, with the fine rising to $439 if caught in a school zone.
NSW is the first state to introduce such laws; according to initial testing on the Harbour Bridge, 750 drivers were detected within a six-hour period.
NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Melinda Pavey, said that the cameras were necessary, citing 184 crashes caused by drivers using their phones, with seven deaths as a result.
Of course, this brings up numerous grey areas. What if you are using your phone to play music? What if you are using it as a GPS?
The footage will be reviewed by an actual human prior to fines being issued, so you might get away with such an appeal.
You could always just say you were playing a Game Boy, too…
