Australia cracking down on drivers using phones.

[zerodish]

In 2016 the number of people killed by drivers using phones increased by 8000 in the United States. Of course pedestrians and cyclists are much more likely to die in these events. Australia is using cameras over automobiles as well as cameras that photograph plates to issue fines to drivers. I think this is the best solution for other parts of the world. I do not advocate the ability of governments to pull a license of some one for 1 infraction. Pulling a drivers license will not stop people from driving. Also mistakes can be made and a license can be pulled from some one who is not actually driving. I was surprised to find out all of this was worked out by the trucking industry. They make a distinction between drivers who are using a phone and drivers who are using a radio to receive instructions for doing their job. Ideally some of the fines will be diverted to rebuilding the infrastructure. I willing to take a back seat to wheelchair users. Building curb ramps helps cyclists as well. We can use these when the road becomes too crowded. I caught a school bus driver doing this. I sent the school police an email stating I would be photographing this and would use deadly force against any police officer who interfered. The problem here is a school bus driver who knows they have been caught will accuse the photographer of photographing the kids. Georgia shortly changed the law after this and it is now illegal for any school bus driver to phone and drive. The police left me alone though a few of them came by to look at me while I had my coffee in McDonalds. https://techxplore.com/news/2019-09-australia-technology-drivers.html

[geotrouvetout67]

I agree the many countries are way behind. I used to live in Chicago, they have banned using cell phones while driving years ago. I now live in Boston and there is no law yet, nuts. The main reason my road bike has been on the trainer at home for the last two years is precisely that I can't afford behind hit from behind by a car, I just mountain bike or gravel.

The first offense should be a $500 fine. The second offense a $2,000 fine and the third one license pulled for 5 years.
Automatic systems are great within cities but don't work in the boonies where many cyclists also get killed, where driver don't even expect seeing cyclists and when they do they will coal roll them.

[hikerjer]

All well and good but it only works if the authorities enforce the law. My city has had a law banning cell phone use while driving for years but it's rarely enforced. And the abuse is rampant.

[Mark Manley]

It has been against the law since 2003 in the UK and they are just about to update the law to include other uses of a smart phone including taking photos or video. The police do seem to implement the law when they catch people but with so many cameras checking vehicle registration and insurance now there are few police cars on patrol to catch people so the law is widely broken still.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50250730