Police warn of increased patrols; New AI cameras in effect on Mitchell Freeway
Western Australia’s road safety commissioner has flagged targeted driver education programs for repeat offenders as the state continues to battle one of the worst road tolls in recent years.
As police prepare for another long weekend of double fines, which come into force on Friday and will remain in force until midnight on Monday for WA Day, Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said the schemes were being considered with the aim of changing people’s behavior behind the wheel.
“This is part of something we’ve included in a broader review of sentencing before; we’re talking about targeted offender diversion programs, education and behavior modification programs,” he said.
“We know we’ve done our research on what’s happening around the world and in other jurisdictions, we know we’ve already identified some behavior change programs.
“We think they have a place, because ultimately one size doesn’t fit all. We need to have more targeted approaches and do what works, and for some people it’s going to be a really intense program.”
Warner said WA Police already had training programs for repeat drink-driving offenders, including an alcohol interlock scheme, but the current program was voluntary.
“We need to look at these very seriously,” he said.
“We have already announced the scope of the review and the terms of the review.
“The bulk of the review and recommendations will go to government in 2027.”
Warner’s comments follow the WA government’s announcement on Thursday that new safety cameras will be rolled out on the Mitchell Highway.
WA Police Minister Reece Whitby said a second set of cameras had recently been installed on Karrinyup Road, in addition to the previously announced cameras on Vincent Street, and both were scheduled to be operational this long weekend.
The two new fixed security camera locations add to the existing fixed cameras on the Kwinana Highway, as well as a fleet of eight camera trailers operating across the state.
From February 2025, when the cameras were first introduced, to May 2025, rates of seat belt crimes detected fell by more than 85 percent, mobile phone crimes fell by 88 percent, and speeding fell by 51 percent.
Whitby said people in the northern suburbs would be given a six-month grace period to help them change their behavior on the road.
“So starting Monday, these cameras will be active, so if you do something wrong with your seat belt or your cell phone, you will get a notification in the mail sent to you,” he said.
“But you will not be fined, you will be warned about your behavior and people on the Mitchell Highway in Perth’s northern suburbs will be given six months until the end of November to help them change their behaviour.”
However, Whitby added that the new cameras can also detect speeding violations that are not covered by the grace period.
“We will not give you a break on this, but there will be a six-month grace period in terms of seat belts and mobile phones, which is the new direction that security cameras have detected on a very large scale,” he said.
WA’s use of artificial intelligence cameras came under criticism after this incident It found that many violations were committed multiple times, sometimes on the same day.
Whitby said it did not have an exact figure for the number of violations waived after drivers appealed the fines.
“But I can tell you that in terms of appeals, that’s under 4 percent of all violations that occur,” he said.
“They are successful in about 60 percent of cases.
“So it’s a small amount, but actually most people, more than half, are successful.”
WA Police Superintendent Michael Dalla-Costa said officers would be on duty throughout the long weekend.
“The public can expect the police to be everywhere at all times,” he said.
“It’s not just your traditional ways that we’re going to focus on.
“We use intelligence to disperse our employees all over the place, so if they think they can evade detection over the weekend, they can expect to be surprised.
“You can expect increased patrols, increased random breath tests, drug testing, targeted operations and camera deployments.
“If you take the risk, you’ll be more likely to get caught this weekend.”
