Thousands of WA drivers caught flouting road rules by new cameras (2025)

Thousands of West Australian drivers have been caught by new safety cameras flouting road rules by not wearing a seatbelt, not restraining children properly, and using mobile devices including, in one case, a laptop while on the freeway.

More than 60,000 incidents have been detected by the cameras since the Australia Day long weekend, the Road Safety Commission has revealed.

Of those captured, 20,000 were not wearing seatbelts correctly, almost 6000 had no seatbelt on at all and 22,000 had their phone in their hands.

An additional 12,000 had their phones resting on their body – also a finable offence.

WA Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said the images sent a clear message about the need to change cultural attitudes around road safety responsibility.

“Quite frankly what we’re seeing has been truly disturbing and upsetting – children and babies unrestrained in the front seat, people bypassing seatbelt alarms by jerry-rigging the driver’s buckle latch, use of laptops while driving at high speeds,” he said.

“We’ve caught 60,000 people using just a few cameras in a few months. If we were monitoring every road, the number would be frankly staggering. The level of risk taking around mobile phones and distraction is extreme.

“But the images that really, really shocked me, and quite frankly disturbed me, I’ve had a really visceral reaction, relate to … unrestrained children.

“Please think again, the power to reduce the road toll lies in all our hands.”

Warner said the commission was warning road users as the Easter long weekend, and double demerits, approached.

In 2024, five people lost their lives on WA roads over the Easter long weekend.

In the five years before that, 10 people died over the same period collectively.

“We know double demerits work, but the fear of getting caught shouldn’t be your key reason to drive safe. Keep yourself, your family and other road users safe,” Warner said.

“This mentality some drivers have, that a little bit of speeding is okay, is wrong, this Easter I want more people driving at or under the speed limit more often.

“Fighting to get ahead of one or two cars in your rush to get to wherever you’re going quickly is a fool’s exercise. It’s pointless. It’ll get you nowhere.”

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Warner said long weekends often lead to higher volumes of traffic, especially on popular holiday routes with higher speed limits.

“It’s a fact that most deaths happen on high-speed roads. In the past ten years, about 60 per cent of motor vehicle fatalities occurred in regional areas and three-quarters on regional roads with speed limits 100 kilometres per hour or more,” he said.

“Don’t put your desire to arrive quickly ahead of your need to arrive alive.”

At the beginning of the year, four people died after a horror crash along Leach Highway near Perth Airport.

In February, Perth obstetrician Rhys Bellinge allegedly caused a crash that killed a young woman and left her ride-share driver fighting for life after driving at 130km/h in a 50km/h zone while drunk.

In March, three friends were killed in a crash east of Perth after their vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a tree and two people died in a separate incident in the Pilbara after a motorcycle and utility vehicle collided.

This year 59 people have already died on WA roads – putting the state on track to record the worst road toll in a decade.

Warner said the new cameras would be out “operating in full force” and fining those caught by the next summer holiday period.

Those already caught have been issued with caution notices, but “extreme misbehavior” has been referred to police to conduct a formal investigation.

“Fear of getting caught shouldn’t be the reason to drive safely on the roads,” Warner said.

“It’s not just about you. Think about your family. Think about the impact a loss of life or a life altering serious injury is going to have on those around you.

“If you thought a little bit more about that, perhaps you’ll take less risk.”

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