07/09/2026
Voice of Australia-VOA :
“WA AI CAMERA CONTROVERSY: THOUSANDS OF $550 SEATBELT FINES OVERTURNED AS POLICE DROP HUNDREDS OF CASES
PERTH — Western Australia’s controversial AI traffic camera system is under fresh scrutiny after thousands of seatbelt fines were overturned and police dropped hundreds more cases they believed were unlikely to succeed in court.
Since the AI-assisted cameras were introduced, the Department of Transport has issued 81,412 seatbelt-related infringements.
Many carry a $550 fine and four demerit points.
Around 5,700 infringements — approximately 7 per cent — have already been overturned following review requests.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch says police prosecutors have also withdrawn hundreds of cases because there was no reasonable prospect of securing a conviction.
One major issue is proving that drivers knew a passenger was wearing a seatbelt incorrectly at the exact moment captured by the camera.
Some motorists have successfully argued they were focused on the road and had no reasonable opportunity to know a passenger had moved a seatbelt out of position.
The controversy has prompted a broader review of WA’s AI road-safety camera penalties and prosecution process.
However, authorities insist the cameras remain an important road-safety tool.
The Road Safety Commission says AI cameras can detect mobile-phone use, incorrect seatbelt use and speeding, and reports that detected seatbelt and mobile-phone offences fell 76 per cent between September 2025 and August 2026.
WA Police has also cautioned that motorists cannot simply invent excuses to avoid penalties.
The review is continuing as debate grows over whether the system is fairly balancing road safety, driver responsibility and automated enforcement.”
