Victorians worst mobile phone culprits
April 27, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Victorian drivers are being caught and fined for illegally using mobile phones whilst driving at the rate of 100 per day.
The figures, released by Victoria Police today, aim to reduce the number of drivers talking on mobile phones, especially commercial drivers who make up the majority number of those caught.
Fines totalling $5,882,669 and over 120,000 demerit points were accrued last year by Victorian drivers caught using mobile phones whilst driving, a number former Victoria police assistant commissioner (traffic) Ray Shuey says should be zero, especially when drivers are on the job (referring to the percentage of commercial versus private drivers booked).
“Commercial drivers are paid professionals behind the wheel of what is potentially a lethal weapon,” Mr Shuey said. “If they are caught on the phone they should lose their licence altogether. It is a huge risk to life and one few take seriously until it’s too late.”
Mr Shuey, who now heads the Pedestrian Council of Australia, said increasing the cost of fines was unlikely to make a difference.
“It doesn’t matter how much the fine is,” he said. “It’s the certainty of detection that will make all the difference. If you know there is a high chance of getting caught, you won’t commit the offence.”
39,481 Victorian motorists were caught using a mobile phone while driving last year – almost 500 more than in New South Wales.
So common is the offence, police regularly check mobile phones at major collisions to see if it was in use at the time of the smash.
“It is the most significant emerging issue in Victoria, on par with speed, fatigue and driving under the influence,” said Police traffic inspector Gerry Zammit.
Being caught using a mobile phone illegally while driving in Victoria attracts 3 demerit points and a significant fine.
Source: Herald Sun
Print it: 
How is talking on the phone different to talking to a passenger or fiddling with the radio? Or talking to a kid in the backseat and getting them a juice box out of the passenger foot well?? I see mums doing this all the time. Should we be fining people for doing anything than driving with both hands on the wheel, I think not.
I have a sister and a good friend that are both police officers. Why is that civilians can’t talk on the phone while driving, but if you put on a police uniform you are allowed to talk on the phone or use the police radio without consequence??? When the police want to follow the same rules as everyone else people will be far more accepting of the rules they enforce.
May be it’s just that Melbourne’s police officers are better at catching mobile-phone-usage-while-driving than the other states…?
Higher number of motorists driving using mobile phones is not the same as number of motorists caught using mobile phones.
Either way, if you text and drive you’re a bloody idiot.
He can’t be the worst. Where is the coffee? Where is the nagging wife and kids? Where is all the traffic? This looks like a nice calm drive in the contrary to me. Even if you took the mobile phone off me I would still have many other distractions. I wonder if I can convince my wife that if she is caught nagging she will lose three points and have to pay a hefty fine? Talking on a phone while driving is no more distracting that talking to your passenger IMO.
It’s time for Government’s (not just the Victorian Government) to get serious about driver education and changing bad habits. Speed does not kill. Its distracted drivers that kill! The vehicle coupled with any speed are just the mechanism. I, for one, am sick and tired of drivers who: drink and drive, drive whilst on the phone, drive with a car full of occupants with loud music blaring, women who are too lazy to complete their make up before getting in the car and insist on doing it whilst driving, blatantly run red lights (I have never seen so much of this past time as in Victoria), fail to indicate (Victorian’s could save money on new cars by simply not taking the indicator option!!). Wake up Victorian drivers, your driving habits are atrocious and very dangerous. Yopu dribe like you are in a daydream. BTW, I grew up and live in Victoria and been driving for over 30 years. I have driven extensively all over Australia and internationally so find it reasonably justified in making these comments. Just my 2 cents worth ;-)
All non driving activities increase you chances of crashing, but many can be stopped when the driving situation becomes hazardous. A passenger shuts up when there’s a ripple of brake lights. You (should) only change the radio when safe to do so. But there’s no safe time to talk on the phone- hands free or not- because the person on the other end does not know when to shut up.
And this is not an opinion, MUARC and others have done extensive testing. Google it for hours of reading.
I’ve always said there’s a simple solution- no fine, just take the mobile phone and drop it in a bucket of water. People would soon stop doing it.
Tom
Why is talking on the phone more dangerous than talking to a passenger? Because with a mobile phone you don’t have both hands on the wheel. Try and do an emergency manouver with 1 hand, if you lose control your done. How hard is it to use a handsfree kit? You can get bluetooth aftermarket kits for about $90 Anybody driving with a phone to their ear or texting should be shot
Does that guy not have a right ear?
I was just in the US for a month and talking on the phone while driving is completely legal. Cops are more concerned there about whether you come to a complete stop at a stop sign. My uncle was driving us down to the airport on the freeway (going about 115-120 km/h) and talking on his phone at the same time. We mentioned that what he’s doing would be illegal in Australia. He said “well, this is America.”
RoFlmaTiC Says:
April 27th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Does that guy not have a right ear?
Nah, right ear has been neuked by the microwave energy from his mobile! But that’s another argument.
Oh and the GPS should be over further – it doesn’t totally block his view of the road where it is.
Schuey in charge of the Pedestrian council now?
What happened to Scruby? Run-over by a pensioner with a runaway walking frame on a pedestrian bridge?
I’m all for strict enforcement of mobile phone use. I’ll admit it is IMPOSSIBLE to SMS or hold a phone and be 100% in control of a vehicle.
For professional driver’s it’s simply INEXCUSABLE to not have a handsfree device if based in the car, especially given it can be claimed on tax and costs even less again.
i have been using the roads both in car and bike for 24 years now and im angry at people using their cars like a lounge ,taking on mobile phones treating the road as a distraction to their social life,
come on lets get tough and inforce the law and make money,thus my suggestion make laws that employ private or public traffic officers who have the power to enforce traffic offences such as mobile phone use via mobile traffic cammers , i know i can stand on most busy streets facing traffic and wittness at least four drivers per min using phones,a photo and fine in mail with lots of revenue to boot.
I was just pulled over, literally 2 hours ago for checking my voicemail while stuck in a traffic jam. Anyone who lives in Melbourne and knows what Chapel street is like will know that you can get stuck in the same spot for quite a while.
I hadn’t moved for a while and thought I”d check my voicemail – granted this is illegal and yes I agree a stupid thing to do knowing it was illegal.
However to me whats more stupid and indeed should be as illegal as white collar fraud as in my mind it’s a set up to make money – is that an unmarked policecar – bright green it was, was parked on chapel st and then pulled me over and booked me with a $234 fine and 3demerit points.
he then went back to his parking spot to lurk in hiding waiting for his next victim.
I am Ok with paying the fine, I did something wrong I agree but it was a judged decision in a traffic jam that I would not hurt anyone. Don’t they always tell you to drive to the conditions?
I find it very hard to understand why this action by me is booked the same demerit points as driving over 30kms over the speed limit which causes devastating effects?
Is this just a money making scheme by the government in Victoria to put their police into places to trap drivers?
I”m happy pay the fine but the demerit points I think is ridiculous.
R
1. You did the wrong thing.
2. It was probably safe given traffic was at a standstill.
3. The government loves the revenue from fines.
4. Its not going to change.
5. It really sucks police choose not to use more discretion.
6. Life isn’t fair.
7. $234 could have bought a pretty decent handsfree – and saved points.
8. Sorry!
Jason Smith, many states in the USA it is in fact illegal to talk on the mobile while driving.
NY just for one!