WA police bust 1379 texting drivers

WA police have fined more than 1000 motorists for using mobile phones while driving in 40 days. Source: AAP

WEST Australian police have fined more than 1000 motorists for using mobile phones while driving during a novel 40-day crackdown that they have declared an outstanding success.

In a bid to reduce the growing problem of texting and driving, officers riding unmarked motorcycles wore helmet-cams to record offending motorists.

When the operation was announced last month as part of the festive season road safety campaign, WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said it was the first time unmarked motorcycles had been used to focus on distracted drivers and predicted a lot of offenders would be caught.

On Thursday, Mr O'Callaghan said 1379 drivers had been fined for mobile use between December 20 and January 29.

"People are so engrossed in what they're doing, they don't see the motorcycle there," he told Fairfax radio.

"If they are so engrossed in their mobile phone, what does that mean for their driving?"

Those caught lost three demerit points and were fined $250.

Because it is not a prescribed offence, holiday double demerit point penalties did not apply, but Police Minister Liza Harvey said that may change.

"I will certainly look at including it in the double demerit system," Ms Harvey recently said.

"Distraction is one of the five major causes of serious injury and fatal crashes in Australia, and mobile phone use is part of that equation.

"Car use is so normalised that we forget how dangerous they can be if we don't use them correctly, and the same with mobile phones.

"When you combine it with a car it can be so very dangerous."

Mr O'Callaghan also said 229 people were caught for not wearing seatbelts.

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