Hundreds of WA AI seatbelt fines dropped

Western Australia Police said on September 2 that they had dropped hundreds of seatbelt-related prosecutions linked to the state’s AI-assisted road safety cameras after deciding some cases were unlikely to succeed in court. Commissioner Col Blanch told ABC Perth that prosecutors had withdrawn matters where there was “no reasonable prospect” of a conviction. The latest retreat comes after thousands of motorists had already succeeded in getting camera-issued infringements overturned through administrative review. The cameras, introduced in October 2025, have generated tens of thousands of seatbelt penalties in Western Australia. ### Why were police dropping cases that had already reached prosecution? Col Blanch said the issue centered on proving that a driver knew a passenger was wearing a seatbelt incorrectly. ABC reported that police had dropped hundreds of matters after hearing what the commissioner described as “reasonable defences.” Blanch told ABC Perth that police receive only about 5% of the camera matters and that only about 0.1% to 0.2% end up in a trial. He said police did not want to “waste the courts’ time” on cases they were unlikely to win. ### How many fines have been affected? The Department of Transport has issued 81,412 seatbelt-related infringements since the cameras were rolled out in October last year, according to ABC’s September 2 report. (abc.net.au) About 7% of those, or roughly 5,700 infringements, have been overturned after motorists sought a review. April figures showed the problem had already been building months earlier. (abc.net.au) ABC reported on April 20 that more than 53,000 seatbelt infringements had been issued in the first six months of the program and about 2,000 had been withdrawn, amounting to at least A$1.1 million in waived fines. ### What exactly are the cameras alleging drivers did wrong? (abc.net.au) Western Australia’s AI-assisted road safety cameras are used to identify potential mobile phone and seatbelt breaches before fines are sent to drivers, ABC reported. In the disputed seatbelt matters, the legal difficulty has arisen when a passenger — rather than the driver — was allegedly not properly fastened. (abc.net.au) ABC cited cases involving children and other passengers whose seatbelt sash had slipped under an arm or was otherwise not positioned correctly. In one case described by the broadcaster, Lisa Taylor was fined after a camera captured her 10-year-old daughter with the sash under her arm while the family was traveling on the Kwinana Freeway on Boxing Day. ### Who has been challenging the system? (abc.net.au) Lisa Taylor and other motorists told ABC they disputed being held responsible in circumstances where they said they could not reasonably monitor a passenger’s belt position throughout a trip. The broadcaster also reported in April on disability support worker Elli Figomnari, who said she faced four infringements tied to a neurodivergent client riding as her passenger. (abc.net.au) Figomnari told ABC that three of those four fines were later withdrawn, but she described the review process as lengthy and stressful. She said she had been facing A$2,200 in fines and 16 demerit points before the withdrawals. ### What have ministers and police said happens next? Reece Whitby, Western Australia’s road safety minister, said in April that the number of withdrawn infringements was relatively small and indicated a “good system,” according to ABC. (abc.net.au) He also said the government hoped to roll out more of the devices. Blanch said on September 2 that a review of penalties from AI cameras was underway and that it was the job of police and the government to assess whether the regime was becoming a burden. (abc.net.au) The next test for the system will be that review, as police and the state government decide whether enforcement settings or penalty processes need to change. (abc.net.au)