New cameras catch misbehaving WA drivers

West Australian police will use long-range cameras for the first time during the long weekend to catch people speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and using their mobile phones while driving.

With a range of up to 700 metres, the two cameras can detect unsuspecting motorists long before they notice the police.

WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said double demerit-point penalties would apply during the Queen's Birthday long weekend. The period covers September 26-29.

The penalties mean, for example, that anyone caught not wearing a seatbelt and using their phone at the same time will lose their licence.

New, permanent fines will also be introduced at the weekend. Using a mobile phone while driving will now result in a $400 fine, running a red light will be $300, failure to wear a motorcycle helmet will be $550, and failing to keep a safe distance when overtaking will result in a $300 fine.

Altering number plates and fitting a device that prevents effective identification, which have not previously attracted fines or demerit points, now carry a $1200 slug.

Police said the first two-hour deployment of the long-range camera last Thursday on the Great Eastern Highway in Greenmount resulted in the detection of six speeding drivers, seven failures to wear a seatbelt, eight illegal U-turns at traffic light intersections, and one unlicensed driver.

The deployment detected an average of one offence every five minutes, Mr O'Callaghan said.

During the commissioner's media conference on Thursday, at least nine people were caught using their mobile phones while driving.

Mr O'Callaghan said it was "notoriously difficult" to monitor mobile phone use among drivers.

"This is a game-changer in terms of police in distractive driving," he told reporters.