Caught on Camera in WA: What the New Safety Cameras Mean for Drivers in 2026 (And Who to Call)

Western Australia’s roads look different now. Since early 2025, a network of AI-powered safety cameras has been scanning Perth’s streets and regional highways, picking up drivers who speed, skip the seatbelt, or reach for their phone behind the wheel. If you’ve already received a fine or a notice from one of these cameras, you are far from alone. And depending on your circumstances, you may have more options than you think.

This article breaks down how WA’s new camera system works, what the penalties actually look like, and which lawyers across Perth are best placed to help if things escalate.

How WA’s New Camera System Works

Starting from Australia Day 2025, six portable and two fixed cameras went live across Perth, with full enforcement beginning in April 2025 after a three-month grace period. The cameras use advanced AI technology mounted on both fixed and mobile trailers, capable of detecting multiple offences simultaneously, including mobile phone use, seatbelt violations, and speeding. They can also detect unregistered vehicles, monitor heavy vehicle speed limits, and assess whether trailers or caravans are being towed correctly.

A key point many drivers miss: a fine is only issued after WA Police review and confirm the offence from high-resolution imagery captured by the system. The cameras themselves do not automatically generate infringements. There is a human review step. That said, the scale of detections during the trial phase was genuinely staggering. More than 380,000 road safety breaches were flagged across Perth and regional areas. Of those, 114,800 drivers were detected wearing a seatbelt incorrectly, 158,000 were caught using a mobile phone, and 100,000 were found speeding. Of the 300,000 drivers flagged across the eight-month grace period, 70,000 were caught more than once. One motorist reportedly accumulated more than 80 separate detections within a few months.

Despite a 40 per cent drop in offences recorded between February and September 2025, full enforcement went live from October 2025, with penalties now applying across all three offence categories. So if you are reading this because you have received a notice, the enforcement period is well and truly active.

The Penalties You Are Now Facing

Speed Camera Offences

WA’s speed enforcement covers both fixed and mobile speed cameras, as well as point-to-point (average speed) monitoring along certain corridors, including the Forrest Highway between Mandurah and Bunbury. Fines are imposed for a range of speeding thresholds, and most attract demerit points on top of the financial penalty.

Full licence holders can accumulate up to 12 demerit points within a three-year period before being disqualified from holding a licence. Suspension periods escalate with point totals: 12 to 15 points brings a three-month suspension, 16 to 19 points results in four months, and 20 or more points means five months off the road. For many drivers, particularly those who have already accumulated points from earlier offences, a single camera detection can tip the balance.

Demerit points during long weekends and holiday seasons are doubled for offences including speeding, seatbelt non-compliance, and mobile phone use, while the fine amounts themselves stay the same. WA also recognises demerit points from all other Australian states and territories, meaning interstate offences count toward your WA demerit total. Drivers who accumulate points across multiple states and assume they are safe from a WA suspension have found themselves caught out by this more than once.

Mobile Phone Camera Offences

Touching or holding a mobile phone while driving carries a minimum fine of $500 and three demerit points at the infringement level. Penalties can reach up to $1,000 and four demerit points depending on the circumstances of the detection. The cameras detect any instance of a driver handling a device, including at traffic lights and in stationary traffic. It is not limited to active phone calls.

The AI system is trained to distinguish between a hand resting on a steering wheel and a hand holding a device, though contested cases do arise, particularly where image quality or object identification is in dispute. If you received a notice and you believe the detection was inaccurate, that is worth raising with a lawyer before you pay anything.

Seatbelt Camera Offences

Failing to wear a seatbelt correctly starts at a $550 fine and four demerit points. This applies to both the driver and, in some cases, to passengers. A high number of infringements have been issued to drivers whose passengers were incorrectly wearing a seatbelt, which catches many people off guard.

Wearing a seatbelt incorrectly, such as with the shoulder strap tucked behind the arm or under the armpit, attracts the same penalty as not wearing one at all. The cameras are sensitive enough to detect this, and plenty of drivers have received fines under the impression that partial compliance was fine. It is not.

Can You Contest a Camera Fine?

Yes, and it is worth understanding your options before paying. Payment constitutes an admission, and once made, the ability to challenge the infringement is significantly reduced. So if something about the notice does not sit right, do not pay first and ask questions later.

Grounds for challenging a camera infringement can include calibration errors in the detection equipment, procedural irregularities in how the infringement was issued, misidentification of the driver, image quality disputes, or genuinely ambiguous circumstances at the time of the detection. Drivers often focus on appealing a suspension itself rather than challenging the underlying offences that generated the demerit points in the first place. If speed camera timing was incorrect, signage was obscured, or the wrong driver was identified, these issues can eliminate demerit points entirely. Getting legal advice early leaves significantly more options open.

Gather whatever information you can about the circumstances of the detection. The location, the time, any features of the situation that might be relevant, such as roadworks, obstructions, a borrowed vehicle, or an object that could plausibly be mistaken for a mobile phone in an image. Most firms will offer an initial consultation to help you assess whether a challenge is worth pursuing.

Traffic Lawyers in Perth Worth Calling

#1 Podmore Legal

Podmore Legal is a Perth-based criminal defence firm with dedicated traffic law representation as part of its practice. The team handles the full range of driving offences, from camera-detected infringements and demerit point disputes through to more serious charges such as dangerous driving, reckless driving, and licence disqualification matters. Their approach is practical and outcome-focused, with a significant volume of driving offence cases handled across both metro Perth and regional WA.

Beyond traffic matters, Podmore Legal also handles serious criminal offences, Magistrates Court defence, jury trials, asset confiscation defence, and bail applications. That breadth matters if your camera offence sits alongside other legal concerns. The firm offers a free 15-minute consultation and can be reached on (08) 6555 3667.

#2 Smiddy Brown Lawyers

Smiddy Brown handle all matters relating to traffic law, from minor infringements to the most serious driving offences, appearing across the Magistrates, District, and Supreme Courts. The firm’s team includes lawyers with extensive experience in criminal litigation and criminal defence, covering bail applications, sentencing hearings, and trials across all jurisdictions including the State Administrative Tribunal and the Children’s Court.

The firm is available 24 hours and offers a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Principal lawyer Carolyn graduated from James Cook University with an honours degree in law in 1996 and has since practised across North Queensland, Hong Kong, China, and Western Australia, regularly appearing in the Supreme Court, District Court, Magistrates Court, and Children’s Court. Smiddy Brown’s traffic lawyers cover drink driving, drug driving, reckless and dangerous driving, licence suspensions, and camera-detected offences, and the firm places a clear emphasis on open communication throughout the process.

#3 Timpano Legal

Timpano Legal has been a trusted criminal and traffic law firm in Perth since 2008. The firm has a dedicated traffic practice covering speeding offences, reckless and dangerous driving, DUI and drug driving, driving while suspended or unlicensed, and extraordinary drivers licence applications.

Timpano Legal liaises directly with prosecuting bodies including the State and Federal Director of Public Prosecutions and WA Police, and works alongside barristers and forensic experts when cases require it. For drivers facing demerit point accumulation or licence suspension off the back of a camera detection, the firm’s long track record across the Magistrates Court makes them a sensible first call. Laura Willox and Eloise Barker are both listed in Doyle’s Guide 2025 as leading criminal defence lawyers in Western Australia, reflecting the firm’s broader standing in the Perth legal community.

#4 Rebus Legal

Rebus Legal focuses on providing solid legal coverage for Perth drivers, with traffic law services covering licence suspension or disqualification arising from drink driving, dangerous driving, traffic infringement notices, and criminal charges arising from traffic-related issues. The firm’s partners bring extensive experience in traffic matters and are commited to delivering practical, up-to-date representation.

Rebus Legal is well-suited to drivers for whom losing a licence carries real employment or family consequences. The firm places clear emphasis on understanding the practical impact of a charge, not just its legal mechanics. Payment plans are available, which is worth knowing if the combination of fines, legal fees, and potential loss of income is already putting pressure on your finances. A free 15-minute phone consultation is available on 1800 732 875.

#5 FourLion Legal

FourLion Legal operates across Perth and Fremantle, handling fines, licence issues, and a broad range of traffic matters. The firm takes a multi-disciplinary approach, with traffic law sitting alongside family law, criminal law, property law, and civil litigation. That makes them a useful option for drivers whose traffic matter intersects with another legal issue, which happens more often than people expect.

FourLion Legal handles drink driving and related offences, and positions itself on transparency around costs and client communication. Their Fremantle presence is a practical advantage for drivers in Perth’s southern and western corridors. They can be reached on (08) 9335 6643.

What Happens If You Do Nothing

Ignoring a camera fine does not make it go away. Unpaid infringements escalate to final demands, and from there to enforcement action through the Fines Enforcement Registry. That can mean licence suspension, vehicle immobilisation, or referral to a collection agency. If you have received multiple camera notices and have not dealt with them, the situation compounds quickly.

If the issue is not the validity of the fine but an inability to pay, most of the firms listed here can discuss your options. In some circumstances, payment arrangements can be made through the relevant authority, or a lawyer can negotiate on your behalf. Either way, doing nothing tends to be the worst available option.

All funds from safety camera infringements in WA are reinvested in road safety projects via the Road Trauma Trust Account. The revenue stays in the system regardless of what you do. What matters for you is whether the fine is accurate, whether the demerit points are warranted, and whether your licence survives.

Getting Through It

Receiving a camera fine feels worse than it probably is, at least in the majority of cases. Most people pay, take the demerit points, and move on. But if you are close to a suspension threshold, if you believe the detection was incorrect, or if your livelihood genuinely depends on being able to drive, it is worth taking the time to speak to someone who knows this area of law properly.

The firms listed here all offer initial consultations, several at no cost. A 15-minute call is enough to understand where you stand and whether there is anything worth pursuing. That is a small investment of time given what a licence suspension can actually cost in lost income, disrupted routines, and the general inconvenience of being off the road in a city that still largely requires a car to get around.

WA’s new camera network is not going anywhere. If anything, enforcement is tightening and the detection technology is improving. Understanding the system and knowing who to call if it catches you is, at this point, fairly basic road knowledge.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have received a traffic infringement or are facing a licence suspension, seek advice from a qualified WA legal practitioner.