Long weekend plea to Aussies over costly road mistake attracting $410 fine

Many Aussies admit they've witnessed a near-miss on roads as a result of both drivers and pedestrians being 'easily distracted'.

Pedestrians on their phones cross a road in Sydney. A woman uses her phone behind the wheel. A Revenue NSW fine is also seen.
Concerning research reveals most NSW drivers had witnessed a close-call between pedestrians on their smart phone and cars. Source: SMH/Revenue NSW/South Australia Police

Australian drivers and pedestrians alike are being urged to practise extra caution this long weekend, with officers on the lookout for those doing the wrong thing and ready to hand down hefty penalties to offending motorists.

The NRMA is warning smartphone zombies — or "smombies" — to act safety in the coming days, with huge crowds expected to head out to watch the NRL Grand Final and bask in the warm weather. According to a survey conducted by the NRMA, 56 per cent of respondents said they'd witnessed a near-miss on NSW roads as a result of pedestrians crossing while using a phone.

The research also found that on average, 16 per cent of people admitted to crossing the street with headphones or earbuds on, with that figure almost tripling to 42 per cent among 18-24 year olds.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, NRMA Road Safety Expert Dimitra Vlahomitros urged residents in NSW — as well as those across the country — to remain alert in areas of high foot traffic.

"People are going to be out and about. They're going to be going to the beach. They're going to be getting to pubs, watching the game. So there's going to be a lot of pedestrians around, a lot of foot traffic and it makes it really dangerous when people are on their phones," Vlahomitros told Yahoo.

A person behind the wheel of a car uses their pinky to steer, while on the phone.
Over 71,000 drivers in South Australia were detected using their phones in under two months after new cameras were rolled out earlier this year. Source: NCA Newswire

"Our message is: Put the phone away, for drivers that are driving around high foot traffic areas — take care and be extra cautious.

"You get so easily distracted when you're on your phone. We've all seen it. If you go into the city or wherever you are, you see people on their phones looking down and crossing the road and they can walk right into traffic."

Any NSW driver caught using their mobile phone this long weekend from Friday will be slapped with a $410 fine and lose 10 out of 13 demerit points off their licence. Similar penalties are in place around the country where double demerits apply, with Australians being reminded to make themselves aware of the laws in their area before getting behind the wheel.

Vlahomitros encouraged drivers to resist the 'temptation' of answering when their phone rings while they're behind the wheel. "It's very tempting to pick up your phone," she said. "You're waiting for the light to change to green, it's certainly tempting to look down and read a message or check the footy scores, but it's important you don't.

"You need to be alert. You need to look both ways. Obviously, when you're crossing you need to think, you need to need to listen. If you've got your headphones on, you can't hear traffic coming, so it's important to have all those those vital senses."

The NRMA also found that one in five (20 per cent) of people surveyed are still using their phones illegally behind the wheel, while 87 per cent said they'd witnessed another driver undertake the dangerous, illegal act.

In NSW and the ACT, double demerits kicked on at 12.01 on Friday morning and will remain in place for four days until midnight on Monday. During this period, double demerit points apply for speeding, illegal use of mobile phones, not wearing a seat belt and riding without a motorcycle helmet.

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