The Netherlands has become the first country in Europe to install 'smart' cameras to catch drivers using their smartphones while driving.
The new cameras were installed on Dutch roads last week - sending images of the captured traffic infringement directly to the country’s debt-collection office - which then send the offender a €240 fine.
The cameras register the car’s license plate and the hands of the driver - not the face – according to New Mobility. The offender can claim to see the images and contest the fine.
“People should get the feeling they can be fined anytime anywhere,” Achilles Damen, traffic officer, told Dutch daily Hart van Nederland. “This should stop people from using their smartphone behind the steering wheel.”
Uncareful smartphone use is the cause behind a third of all deaths for young drivers in Belgium according to traffic safety institute Vias. The other two being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and excess speeding.
The Brussels Times
