New Delhi, New South Wales in Australia rolled out high-definition cameras on Sunday to catch people using their cellphones while driving, media reports said.
The technology is intended to target illegal use of cellphones through fixed and mobile trailer-mounted cameras, New South Wales Minister for Roads Andrew Constance was quoted as saying by the CNN.
The cameras use Artificial Intelligence to scan images and zero in on the offenders. The identified images will be verified by authorised personnel, and the images will be securely stored and managed, authorities said.
As many as 45 portable cameras will be set up across the Australian state at unknown locations and without warning signs in the next three years, CNN affiliate Sky News Australia reported.
In the initial three months, offending drivers will receive a warning letter, after which offenders will face fines of up to $344, or $457 in a school zone, and penalty points on their driving licences.
“The NSW government is serious about reducing the state’s road toll and rolling out mobile phone detection cameras is another way we will do this,” Constance was quoted by the report.
Officials said more than 100,000 drivers were caught using mobile phones while driving during a trial run of the technology earlier this year.