Motorists using their mobile phones while driving on Perth roads this Christmas will be targeted by unmarked police motorcycles ridden by officers sporting helmet-cams to record the offence.
In a bid to reduce the growing problem of texting and driving, WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan announced the unmarked bikes would be used to spot any drivers distracted by their phones.
The initiative will be part of this year's road safety campaign, nicknamed "Operation Crossroads".
"We will use unmarked motorcycles for the first time to focus on distracted drivers," Mr O'Callaghan told Fairfax radio.
"It will be almost impossible to spot the police officer before they get to them. I predict we are going to catch a lot of people."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Anyone caught using their phone while driving will lose three demerit points and must pay a $250 fine.
Because it is not a prescribed offence, holiday double demerit point penalties, which begin in WA on Friday, will not apply. In WA, it is also illegal to text while stationary at traffic lights.
The unmarked motorcycles will be smaller and more nimble than traditional police bikes, and will target major traffic routes in the WA capital.
"I think it is one of the most arrogant things you can do in a motor vehicle, to put everyone else's life at risk for what is probably a meaningless communication exchange," Mr O'Callaghan.
"But I don't hold out much hope that we are going to squash this culture very quickly, because it is so ingrained."
