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Speed cameras may nab mobile phone use

  • By Mark Hinchliffe
  • The Courier-Mail
  • 09 February 2012
  • image

    There is no indication yet whether the camera will be used in Australia.

A speed camera that can detect a driver using a mobile phone may be on the way.

British police have begun testing the $18,500 laser speed camera that catches drivers using a mobile phone from a distance of almost 1km and provide crystal-clear video evidence. 

The Concept II camera will also be able to see if drivers or passengers are not wearing their seatbelts. There is no indication yet whether the camera will be used in Australia, but the website of manufacturer Tele-Traffic UK says they sell to police forces around the world. 

The camera uses a laser speed detection device and video camera with a professional-quality 50-500mm zoom lens and DVD recorder. 

It will operate in temperatures from minus 22 to 60 degrees centigrade and record up to 3997 offences per DVD. Tele-Traffic says it will also record red-light violations and can be used in conjunction with automatic number plate readers. 

The first to use the cameras is the rural-based Dorset police force who bought two as part of a zero-tolerance campaign on traffic violations. A Dorset police spokesman said the cameras caught one driver playing a harmonica with both hands. 

The crackdown follows road safety calls this week for Queensland to step into line with other states and introduce lower speed camera tolerances of 3 km/h. 

A spokesman for anti-speed camera campaign group Dorset Speed rejects the cameras as "another tool for making money". Traffic officers are testing the Concept II cameras but are not yet using the video evidence.

Comments on this story

Displaying 3 of 17 comments

  • Whats with this brainless nitwit spokesman for anti-speed camera campaign group Dorset Speed rejects the cameras as "another tool for making money", Yeah right. If that was the case, and if speed camera are suppose to work so well, how come the road toll is higher now than when they were first introduce, hmmmm... Also what this crap, 3km/h tolerance, they can only just make a speedo thats within the 10% tolerance, so hows that going to work. The reason there are so many accidents too many are so paranoid about being pinged for speeding they are only watching their speedos and not the road... They can say all they want, but it is only about raising money....

    sox of Adelaide Posted on 28 February 2012 11:39pm

  • I trust they raise the fine for using a mobile on the move to $1000. If they did, the amount of increased money brought in would build new roads everywhere. I'm sick of ignorant drivers flouting the phone usage laws with impunity. I see 200 drivers a day doing it, and have seen numerous accidents, or near-accidents caused by yapping on phones.

    Ron N of Perth W.A. Posted on 21 February 2012 9:17pm

  • i think its a good idea, driving whilst on the phone is a very dangerous thing to do. So what if they're making money out of us, if we want to break the law, why shouldn't we pay? About a week ago I saw some moron driving up my street doing at least 60kmh (its a 50 road) AND talking on his phone. I have 3 school-aged children and I dont need people like this on the road.

    Lisa of Sydney Posted on 18 February 2012 9:59am

  • "Safety" has long been the default explanation by Govt (which sadly many people blindly accept) when they are either about to disproportionately waste big wads of our tax dollars to address minor problems, or when investing in technology which will extract more money out of us. Every new piece of technology Govt invests in, is put through a cost benefits analysis, where the cost to buy/lease is compared with revenue projection modelling. Motorists are nothing more than a revenue stream for govt. Car manufacturers are permitted a 10% speedo error tolerance to meet Aust standards, yet motorists are only allowed 3km/h over limit in Vic before they get snapped by a camera. No matter how much spin they attempt to put on it, that IS revenue raising under the guise of safety, plain and simple.

    CQ of Qld Posted on 17 February 2012 12:23pm

  • Why doesn't the Govt ban driving cars altogether, dig up the roads then no-one will die on the roads. Issue us with walking permits then everyone of us will be safe. What a joke as if the Govt's dont make enough out of motorists to start with: expensive car registration (a four cyclinder car uses less road than a 6 or 8 but more road than a 2 or 3), tax on fuels and then Govt cant even build a road without have to call in the Private Funders then charge us again. Something has to be done about Govt wasting money in the name of public safety. Maybe we all should just stop paying car registration as a nation and force Govt to do something....

    marktimms of brisbane Posted on 16 February 2012 9:38am

  • What if the driver was passing the phone to the passenger? Oh and can they catch people who don't indicate when changing lane? Can it snap parents who smoke in the cars with kids? Can it snap people who litter, spit?

    homer Posted on 15 February 2012 12:50pm

  • I want them to do a simple thing - detect drivers at night with faulty lights. Either missing - or illegal (ie driving lights on).

    Alan of Logan City Posted on 14 February 2012 11:04pm

  • A tolerance of 30 kph, now that I find hard to believe.

    corneyau of Ipswich Posted on 14 February 2012 9:58pm

  • It is simple. Obey the road rules and you shouldn't be fine. It is revenue raising but it is a tax you can avoid paying if you obey the laws that our elected officials have put in place.

    Space Bat of Nth Qld Posted on 14 February 2012 9:43pm

  • The message is simple: This is just another way to say it. Do not use the (in hand) Mobile phones, whilst driving. Some people, already lack..., the simplest drivings skills.

    FORMER PROFESSIONAL Bus Driver of Ryde Posted on 14 February 2012 8:48pm

  • Hi, I do not advocate these systems to be use in nabbing speeders. However I do love the idea of trapping those on mobile phones and not wearing seat belts. I find these people are much more of a problem than speeding! Tradies are the worst offenders. They are always glued to the next contact to feed their pockets. They are also the worst traffic offenders. I need to get to the next job whatever it costs!

    Kim of Sydney Metro Posted on 14 February 2012 8:40pm

  • ''There is no indication yet that the camera will be used in Australia". Yeah right! I bet the Victorian government already has it's order in for a dozen and can't wait to get them out there to raise some more revenue for the state coffers. Hope it's not made by the same people who supply the Wellington Road overpass cameras on Eastlink!

    Bandido of Melbourne Posted on 14 February 2012 8:07pm

  • I wonder how much it will cost if you get caught picking your nose!!!

    Keep Your Nose Clean of SA Posted on 14 February 2012 7:50pm

  • What?? I won't be able to play the harmonica whilst driving anymore? Ridiculous.

    sssskkkk Posted on 13 February 2012 2:12pm

  • Just another way of revenue raising the scabby P****!

    NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS Posted on 13 February 2012 12:14pm

  • Considering having my wages forwarded directly to my state government so I can finally live free of harassment and surveillance. They are obviously not interested in preventing me doing anything, they simply want for me to pay to do it...

    Mungo of Qld Posted on 13 February 2012 9:07am

  • My concern would be the interpretation of any images, and how easy it might be to put in a situation where driver's must prove their innocence. Would they only take images of speeders and/or red-light runners? What if you are merely scratching you ear? In Victoria (unlike other states) we have to either pay for a copy of the camera image, or make time to view it at an inconvenient location. Then again, that works for the government and police as it means less work for them and higher revenue. I believe phones are a problem, but do not trust these cameras.

    shebs Posted on 11 February 2012 2:01pm
Read all 17 comments

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