New police data shows a drastic increase in the number of recorded offences for using a mobile phone while driving from 2022 to 2023.
The use of hand-held devices while driving is banned in New Zealand and punishment consists of a $150 fine and 20 demerit points.
In 2022, there were 47,631 mobile phone offences recorded, which brought in a total of $6,956,400 in revenue from fines.
Offences rose significantly in 2023 by 25.8 percent to 59,928. This brought in a total of $8,760,900 in fines.
Superintendent Stephen Greally, the Director of Road Policing, told Newshub "police are disappointed to see such a high, and increasing, number of motorists continuing to use their phones and driving while distracted".
Supt Greally highlighted that distracted driving is one of the four dangerous behaviours police have a strong focus on, the others being restraints, impairment, and speed.
He said that police would ideally never issue infringements for phone use, "however, we do so to encourage safer driving behaviour".
Police would not say whether the increase was related to an increase in distracted drivers or whether police had begun taking a stricter approach to those they catch.
Road Safety Charity Brake's NZ director Caroline Perry told Newshub "it is shocking that so many people are still putting themselves and others at risk by using a mobile phone at the wheel".
"We absolutely support Police enforcing this, penalising drivers who break the law, and helping to get the message across that using a phone at the wheel is unacceptable."
Driver distraction is a factor in close to eight percent of crashes where someone is killed.
The general manager of Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD), Donna Govorko, told Newshub "it is encouraging to know that Police are actively targeting people using their phone illegally while driving".
They supported increasing fines associated with distracted driving.
"An increase in fines will act as a deterrent for many as the fine at present does not reflect the significant risk people take to use their phones illegally while driving," Govorko said.
Australia has significantly harsher penalties than New Zealand and can be as high as a NZ$1,246 fine.
In the Government's latest Land Transport Plan, it was signalled that work would be done to bring New Zealand's infringement penalties more in line with Australia, with an early focus on seatbelt fines.
"Many believe that they can drive perfectly well using their phones illegally while driving, responding to text messages, creating vlogs, engaging in video conferences or watching videos," said Govorko
"However, the devastating crashes that have resulted from distraction crashes demonstrate that it is not safe and can change the trajectory of your life in an instant."
In 2022, Waka Kotahi trialled two cameras planted at three locations across Auckland. The cameras could detect when drivers are using phones or not wearing seatbelts.
199,515 instances of people using their phones while driving were captured over the six-month period.
"Enforcement of mobile phone and seatbelt offences using safety cameras is currently not allowed under the Land Transport Act 1998. The data and learnings from this trial will inform our decisions about future road safety measures," NZTA's website said.
