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A driver has spoken out against AI traffic cameras, calling them an “outrageous overreach” after receiving a $392 fine because his daughter’s seatbelt slipped for a few seconds.
Perth dad Nick Dekker was driving to the beach along the Kwinana Freeway in January when his 12-year-old daughter briefly slipped her seatbelt under her arm to tie her hair into a ponytail.
However, that split-second decision saw Dekker hit with the hefty fine and his partner, who the vehicle was registered to, lose four demerit points.
“A lot happens in a car full of kids; it’s a pretty active place to be,” Dekker told 9News, adding that the car was carrying three other girls.
“I didn’t even notice that my daughter was doing her hair or that the seatbelt had slipped behind. It was just that split second.”
Cameras using AI to identify illegal mobile phone use and incorrect seatbelt wearing were introduced throughout Western Australia last year.
The initial six-month period, during which only warnings were issued, concluded in October.
From that point until February 18, 75,000 violations related to seatbelt and mobile phone offenses have been recorded.
It is understood that police review the infringements before sending them to drivers.
However, Dekker blasted the technology as overly pedantic, arguing that the system should be more lenient.
“They are now looking into our cars with their cameras, and it’s a fine line,” he said.
“Kids turn around all the time in the front seat. You try to tell them not to, but what are you going to do, bolt them down so they don’t wriggle?
“It’s a bit outrageous.”
He’s not the only one who has questioned whether their infringement is fair.
Perth mother Leesa Taylor was also fined $392 and is at risk of losing her license after she lost eight demerit points in February when her daughter adjusted her seatbelt.
The single mom said this was two-thirds of her demerit points, and she had “no idea” her neurodivergent daughter had moved her seatbelt under her arm.
“As usual, I secured my daughter’s seatbelt correctly before we left home, as I always do, safety is always been a big priority for me and my family,” she told ABC Perth.
“[I have] younger ones too, and always make sure they are all buckled in, but I think we’ve come up with a bit of a problem.
“If a child adjusts their seatbelt while you’re driving on a busy freeway, which was our case, what was I supposed to do? I’m unable to slam on the brakes or swerve across lanes to fix it immediately.”
Taylor believes that the law does not differentiate between a parent who fails to restrain a child and one who properly restrains a child who then moves during the journey.
“I understand that seatbelt laws are essential, and children should absolutely be properly restrained, this isn’t about removing accountability,” she said.
“It’s about fairness and nuance, and the law just doesn’t reflect that gap between what the parent’s intention is and what a child may do mid-journey.”
A State Government spokesperson said that the purpose of the safety cameras was to change driver behaviour and hold dangerous drivers accountable on Western Australian roads, ultimately to save lives.
Under the state’s current system, seatbelt offenses operate under strict liability, meaning the driver can be penalized regardless of intent or awareness.
“Any drivers who have received an infringement may request a free review of their infringement, but the law is clear and the responsibility remains with the driver to ensure passengers are wearing their seatbelt correctly,” the spokesperson said.
“The cameras only pick up the front seat of the car and it is recommended that children and other vulnerable passengers sit in the back seat, where it is safer.”
Other states across the country are also facing backlash for AI-operated cameras.
In New South Wales, drivers were fined more than $71 million in 2024-2025 through the cameras, with about 130,000 fines issued for mobile phone use and more than 126,000 for seatbelt noncompliance.
