The Tasmanian Government and Road Safety Advisory Council’s (RSAC) Click.Store.Go campaign, which was launched in April this year, will now see a new phase as mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras have completed testing and begin enforcement in Tasmania.
“We’ve undertaken an extensive education and awareness campaign to let Tasmanians know these cameras are coming to our roads and many will have seen them on the roadside while they’ve been in their testing phase,” said RSAC Chair, Scott Tilyard.
The second phase of the Click.Store.Go campaign launches today in line with the commencement of enforcement. This phase informs road users the detection cameras are now live in Tasmania and if you’re doing the wrong thing, you will be caught.
“Drivers who are caught using their mobile phones or not wearing a seat belt correctly will not only be hit with a fine of $390 but also 3 demerit points.
“The message is simple, click on your seatbelt, store your phone and you’re good to go. It could save your life and the lives of others”, said Mr Tilyard.
Distraction and seatbelt non-compliance is a contributing factor in 24 and nine per cent respectively of Tasmania’s fatal and serious injury crashes.
The increased use of mobile phones while driving is a type of distraction that has the biggest impact on driving behaviour. Evidence shows distraction caused by mobile phones can impair performance in a number of ways, notably braking reaction time, reaction to traffic signals, ability to keep in the correct lane, shorter following distances, and an overall reduction in awareness of what is happening around you.
Unlike distraction, incorrectly wearing a seatbelt is not necessarily the cause of crashes, but it does increase the severity of the injury in the event of a crash. Wearing a correctly fitted seatbelt reduces the risk of being killed in a crash by up to 50 per cent.
For more information, visit https://rsac.tas.gov.au/click-store-go/
