Phone and seatbelt-detecting cameras will remain in Queensland until at least 2032

The contract for the oldest of Queensland’s mobile phone and seatbelt detecting cameras has been extended until at least 30 November 2027, at a cost of approximately $4.3 million.

Traffic camera company Acusensus has been steadily rolling out more of the distracted driver and seatbelt detecting (DDS) cameras since first signing a contract with Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) in 2021.

Acusensus says each camera unit carries a five year term commencing from its first deployment date. This implies that with new cameras intended to be continuously rolled out until 2027, the cameras will be a fixture on Queensland's roads till at least 2032. 

According to Acusensus, its contract to provide the cameras to TMR had been expanded twice since 2021.

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In a statement, the company said the second expansion, signed in December 2024, was “progressing well” and would “close to double” the number of portable DDS cameras in Queensland.

Mobile phone and seatbelt-detecting cameras are a relatively new addition to Australian roads, while other camera types, such as those that detect speed and red light infringements, have been around for decades.

Experts say it will take time to get a clear understanding of how effective mobile phone and seatbelt-detecting cameras were at reducing deaths on Australia's roads, but that early signs were promising.

“Early indications are that the technology not only produces behavior change but is also associated with reduced crash risk at enforced sites,” Professor Stuart Newstead from the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) told Drive earlier this year.

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However, Professor Newstead said established technologies such as speed cameras were well proven in making roads safer.

"Despite the continual criticism levelled at road safety cameras from the media and community claiming they are only about revenue raising, there is significant scientific evidence that the deployment of road safety cameras is associated with both reduced offending and lower risk of crash involvement and often reduced severity of injury," Newstead said.

"MUARC's evaluation studies have found significant road safety benefits from fixed speed cameras including point-to-point cameras, intersection speed and red light cameras and mobile speed cameras in numerous jurisdictions across Australia."

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"These studies can be found on our website. Effectiveness varies between applications depending on the deployment policies in the different regions but uniformly automated enforcement shows road safety benefits."

Acusensus Founder and Managing Director, Alexander Jannink, said in a statement that he estimates that 15 fatalities are avoided each year because of the government's seatbelt compliance initiatives.

“I am very proud of the long-standing partnership we have with TMR, which has been proven to have saved lives. TMR was the first jurisdiction in the world to use automated seatbelt compliance enforcement, and the data now shows a significant reduction in unrestrained fatalities on Queensland roads.” Jannink said.

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“In addition to the injuries and casualties avoided from deterring phone use and speeding, we estimate that 15 fatalities are avoided each year as a result of TMR’s seatbelt compliance initiatives.”

Acusensus currently supplies DDS cameras to Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory.

A recent independent report by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office in Victoria, where DDS cameras are operated by German-based company Jenoptik, scrutinised the cameras' performance, placement, and privacy issues.