Anecdotally (I have no data or way to prove it) stop and go traffic seems about 20-30% slower to me than when I first started driving. It's only in the last few years have I literally seen people just sitting through a green light, but now taking 10-15 seconds to start moving after the car in front of you has is IMHO far more common.<p>Previously that was almost exclusive to dropping something on the floor, getting distracted talking to people in the back seat, adjusting the radio, or other things that were exceptions, not the rule. Now it's just failing to look up from the phone in their lap.
This is some Orwellian shit. An 88 million dollar investment combined with government-sanctioned Tom-peeping, to save an estimated 100 lives? That money would go a lot farther invested in modernizing vehicle safety, requiring lane assist features, etc. instead of fueling the surveillance state. I suspect those pushing this kind of thing are more interested in a solution where they can just defer all the hard work to "Artificial Intelligence" and avoid collaborating on meaningful change.
Lots of negativity here so far so I’ll chip in and say that, as a cyclist, motorcyclist, and pedestrian, I’m glad to see something happening.<p>Mobile phone use while driving has reached chronic levels. It’s a disgrace. Yes, the police could spend their days trying to catch people. But they aren’t, and if they do the letters in the tabloids excoriate them for it.<p>People have to stop using their phones while they drive. Maybe this will scare them in to a behaviour change.<p>(I live in the state of Victoria. NSW is our neighbour.)
I wonder if it will be more accurate than an officer's eyes.<p>Those eyes are not always the best. I was pulled over once for talking on my cell phone. I told the officer that I had not been using the phone (which was only for emergencies, and was buried in a backpack). He argued with me pretty forcefully, until I invited him to check the call-list. My guess is that I was rubbing my ear at the instant he glanced at my car going by.
Can it detect cookies?<p><a href="https://www.technobuffalo.com/man-gets-pulled-over-for-eating-iphone-shaped-cookies-while-driving" rel="nofollow">https://www.technobuffalo.com/man-gets-pulled-over-for-eatin...</a>
I think some context might help; Australia, or NSW already has pretty lengthy requirements for getting a drivers license, plus fairly strict road rules.<p>You have to "log" over a hundred hours of driving as a learner, and then you progress onto your "P" or probationary license; which is also in two stages, which restricts what you can do.<p>After you make it through both the probationary phases, you then have a normal (unrestricted) license.<p>NSW also issue's demerit points for offences; and for a little while now has had "double" points for offences, plus a no-alcohol tolerance (blow anything and you will likely loose your license).<p>The highest speed limit is also 110km/h on 3-4 lane free/high/motorways; but generally dual-lane is around 60-80km/h, and in built up area's it's 40-60km/h.<p>This strictness is after decades of road deaths for drivers and pedestrians: <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/statistics/fatalitytrends.html" rel="nofollow">https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/statistics/fatalityt...</a><p>It can be argued that advances in civil engineering and vehicles for driver/pedestrian safety have had a far greater impact than road rules, but causation/correlation etc. The introduction of mandatory seatbelts, airbags, ABS, better roads / infrastructure would also line up nicely with the chart but alas, that's not their narrative.<p>More recently - "distracted" driving incidents have been making the rounds, and I'm not surprised that the state gov wants to jump on this. I was honestly wondering why I've seen more police on foot at traffic lights waving down drivers and fining them for using their devices over the past week or two, and am not surprised to see this pop on the news either.<p>In Australia, NSW specifically is considered more of a "nanny" state - with the lockout laws and so forth.<p>Personal opinion:<p>It's fairly easy to get a license here - it just takes a few years (or you just make up your logbook as most youths do), and the testing standards are fairly low compared to Western / Northern Europe.<p>Parents are generally teaching their younger ones to drive, so teaching standards are incredibly varied and tend to be low.<p>Then there's also the allowance of almost all international drivers licenses being valid for 3-months, which is rarely enforceable; so you have a few drivers also unfamiliar with the road rules.<p>The money and effort would be far better invested in a more intensive exam, and regular checks of skills / standards, plus providing alternative means of transport.<p>This current push is just a gov-led posturing of "doing" something for the next election cycle.
They could have just posted cops at problem intersections for a fraction of the cost but cops are human and sometimes cut people a break when they deserve one.<p>It's not about safety. It's about reminding people that if they step out of line for any reason they will get whacked because the government is always watching.