Location of first fixed AI camera in Perth’s north revealed as road fine revenue tipped to surge

The Cook Government has doubled down on stamping out idiot drivers on WA roads, installing a new set of permanent AI safety cameras as part of an enormous blitz in coming years.

New fixed technology that detects motorists using their mobile phones while behind the wheel or not wearing their seat belt properly will go live on the Mitchell Freeway near Vincent Street in Leederville from June 1.

It is the third permanent safety camera to be installed with two set up on the Kwinana Freeway last year and comes after the rollout of portable cameras which have so far pinged 184,000 drivers.

There will be a grace period of six months where drivers will be handed cautions for seat belt and phone offences, before infringements will begin to be issued from December 1.

Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said the rollout of AI cameras in recent months was already stamping out bad behaviour.

“We’ve seen the rate of offending decline dramatically,” he said.

“We’re still seeing an increase in revenue as this technology is deployed, the technology is having a positive impact on behaviour so that is something we want to achieve for the benefit of Western Australians.

“There will come a point, and I’m looking forward to it, when we’ve got the technology out there and the result is such that there’s been so much change behaviour that our revenues start to decline.

“I would be a very happy Road Safety Minister if I had $0 coming in because no one was offending.”

Mr Whitby was joined by Treasurer Rita Saffioti on Friday to announce the new camera, and detail where the extra revenue would be spent in the budget.

All money raised through traffic infringements goes to the Road Trauma Trust Account, which funds road safety initiatives.

Ms Saffioti revealed $339.9 million would be included in next month’s State Budget.

A total of $41.6 million will go towards upgrades to the Great Northern Highway from Fitzroy to Gogo section, in a joint project with the Commonwealth Government who will contribute roughly the same amount.

It would also commit $60.7 million to expanding awareness campaigns and more than $22 million back into funding the safety cameras as well as funding operations by WA Police.

A similar amount will be put towards “addressing cost pressures” to existing projects which have blown out in cost.

The roll out of the mobile AI cameras has also caused major headaches for the Cook Government and motorists who have been pinged with infringements they say are unfair.

Almost 300 fines were handed out every day between 8 October and 17 April but over the same period more than $1 million in fines were cancelled on appeal.

The public anger forced a review by the Department of Transport which changed it’s policy to waive multiple infringements given to drivers for the same offence before they had received the notice for the first fine.

Mr Whitby refused to confirm it would be the case for the new fixed camera.

“We’ll look at the data and see what that’s telling us and if there are people who are offending and who need that assistance, will will consider it,” he said.