Distracted Driver and Seatbelt (DDS) Camera Program Evaluation: Stage 1

This report presents a quantitative evaluation of the Victorian Distracted Driver and Seatbelt (DDS) Camera Program, which was introduced to reduce the prevalence of portable device (including mobile phone) use and seatbelt non-compliance among drivers and passengers—two well-established contributors to road trauma in Victoria. Drawing on administrative offence and licensing data from January 2018 to February 2025, the evaluation explores offence patterns, recidivism (reoffending), and the effectiveness of enforcement methods (camera versus non-camera), with particular focus on the program’s state-wide rollout beginning in July 2023. In addition to investigating trends in portable device and seatbelt offences, this report also presents the findings of a community survey measuring perceptions of road safety camera enforcement, and more specifically the DDS camera program, in order to understand attitudes towards enforcement and trends in compliance. Results of the study show the DDS Camera Program has proven effective in increasing offence detection at scale, revealing the extent of portable device and seatbelt non-compliance on Victorian roads. Analysis of recidivism identified via detections for repeat offending showed the method of detection of mobile phone and seatbelt offences (camera versus non-camera) appears to impact duration of deterrence, particularly for mobile phone offences. While camera-based enforcement can influence driver behaviour, its deterrence may be shorter lasting compared with enforcement approaches that involve more personal or visible mechanisms through direct enforcement by police. However, shorter deterrence durations for cameras may be offset by the greater scale of enforcement delivery from cameras. The findings suggest that enforcement type, timing, and context influence how long drivers modify their behaviour. Ultimately, MUARC will undertake a crash-based evaluation in Stage 2 of this project to determine the impact of camera-based enforcement of seatbelt and mobile phone use on road safety outcomes.