AI road safety cameras now in full effect across Western Australia

AI road safety cameras are now fully operational in Western Australia, with drivers being fined for the first time after hundreds of thousands of road users were warned about doing something wrong during the trial.

AI cameras detected more than 380,000 breaches during the eight-month alert period that began in late January.

During the trial, 65,000 warning notices were sent to drivers, giving them the opportunity to change their dangerous behavior without penalty.

Six surveillance cameras in Perth and regional Western Australia, and fixed cameras on the Kwinana Highway south of Perth, detected 114,800 people not using their seatbelts correctly since January 26.

Another 158,000 drivers were caught using mobile phones, while 100,000 drivers were caught speeding.

The most shocking behaviors captured by AI cameras were drivers using drugs, drinking alcohol, and children without seat belts in the front of the car.

One driver was caught committing more than 80 crimes in the first few months of the trial.

Drivers using mobile phones, not wearing their seat belts properly, or speeding by roadside AI cameras will be fined up to $1,000 and lose four demerit points starting October 8.

Police Commissioner Col Blanch told the West: “If you get caught in the first week you have to seriously question your ability to be on the road because you know wearing a seatbelt is a conscious decision.”

Road Safety Commission chief project manager Matthew Samson said what made Western Australia’s safety cameras so advanced was their ability to detect a range of breaches simultaneously.

Mr Samson said they were also able to detect unregistered vehicles, heavy vehicles and vehicles towing trailers and caravans traveling faster than the maximum speed of 100km/h.

Since AI cameras began operating in Western Australia, authorities have noticed a 40 per cent drop in mobile phone and seat belt crime between February and September this year.

“During the caution period there was a significant reduction in crimes detected by security cameras,” Mr Samson said.

“We anticipate now that enforcement has begun, we will continue to see these numbers decrease.

“Too many families face heartbreak because someone made a bad decision, speeded, texted, or didn’t wear their seat belt properly. These are simple things that can have big consequences.”

AI technology has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from thousands of fines issued in other states since similar technology was introduced several years ago.

Seatbelt fines increased by 1400 per cent in the first year of AI technology’s use in NSW, raising nearly $59 million, The Guardian reported.

In 2025, AI technology helped the state issue more than 563,000 speeding tickets worth $190 million, 80,000 fines worth $40 million to drivers using cell phones, and 70,000 seat belt violation tickets to drivers worth $32 million.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said the figures were a worrying reminder for drivers to be careful while behind the wheel.

“Looking at the latest driving crime figures and rising road charges, this is very worrying – especially when we look at how many people are not wearing seatbelts and how many are using their phones illegally,” he said.

The Victorian government collected $473 million from road safety camera fines between July 2023 and June 2024, catching more than 868,100 speeding drivers since July last year.

Nine fixed AI cameras operating in Queensland generated $137 million from 114,000 fines in 2024.

After Tasmania improved its speed detection systems, more than 700 speeding drivers were caught on the Tasman Bridge every week, while old cameras recorded around 450 crimes in a single year, Sky News reported.

Road safety expert Nirajan Shiwakoti is an RMIT professor with more than 20 years’ experience in transport engineering.

He said AI-powered security cameras represented progress, but reversing rising road tolls required Australia to move beyond enforcement towards a proactive, inclusive and system-wide approach.

A total of 1291 people died on Australian roads in 2024; There has been an increase of 17.6 percent in the last five years.

Professor Shiwakoti said AI-powered camera trials in NSW showed the potential to significantly reduce mobile phone use, which is a major contributor to distraction and serious accidents.

But he said the new rules ignore direct protection for pedestrians and cyclists and ignore the need for vehicle design and urban planning changes that prioritize vulnerable users over congestion.

“Current policies also lack a strong equity lens: Indigenous Australians continue to face disproportionately high road fatality rates, particularly in regional areas, and there is insufficient crash data on culturally and linguistically diverse people,” he said.

“Without targeted data collection, public awareness campaigns, and culturally responsive education, these communities may miss out on the safety benefits of the new rules.”

Over the last two years WA has recorded its worst road deaths in almost a decade, with the number of deaths surpassing the 2016 record.

There have been 148 deaths on WA roads so far this year; This figure is 6 percent higher than the total number of deaths recorded in 2024.

Opposition road safety spokeswoman Julie Freeman welcomed the deadline for WA’s new AI speed cameras but said the government now needed to prove the technology would make a real difference to the state’s worsening road toll.

Ms Freeman said the ongoing rise in deaths, particularly in regional WA, showed stronger action was urgently needed.

“These AI cameras can help, but technology alone cannot solve the problem,” he said.

“The government must support implementation with education, community engagement and a serious commitment to road safety funding.

“Every Western Australian deserves to return home safely, and that starts with a government that takes road safety seriously.”

Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said saving lives, keeping roads safe and changing driver behavior was a priority.

He said that after eight months of warnings, he was pleased to see some drivers changing their dangerous behavior behind the wheel, but others said penalties were needed to accelerate change.

“Every time you get behind the wheel, you’re making choices that could mean life or death, not just for you, but for someone’s child, parent, partner or friend,” he said.

“You don’t need a fine or a camera to tell you what’s right. Slow down, wear your seat belt properly, and leave the phone alone.”

Deputy Transport Minister Jessica Stojkovski said new road safety cameras provide another layer of protection for Western Australian motorists.

“After eight months of warnings to drivers and opportunities to change their habits, those using mobile phones, not wearing seatbelts or engaging in other dangerous behavior can now expect to be caught and fined,” he said.