Beginning in August 2025, Aussie drivers will be slapped with a massive $980 spot fine for picking up a mobile phone while behind the wheel. This change is part of the federal government’s big, new road safety plan and ties into the recent surge in crash reports due to texting, scrolling, and streaming at the wheel.
Who’s in the Hot Seat?
Every licensed Aussie driver is subject to the new penalty, whether you’re in Sydney, Perth, or the Northern Territory, the same fine will stick. Officials at every level plan to work together, aiming to ditch the mixed signals drivers faced because of different fines in different regions. Inspectors will be watching busy downtown zones extra closely, as that’s where most phone-related mishaps are happening.
When Will You Get the Ticket?
The law makes no exceptions for a quick tap. Hitting a mounted phone, even to skip a song, adjust a GPS route, or read a message preview counts the same as scrolling the news. You’re still on the hook for the full $980. Plug your destination in before the car starts moving and you’re fine. You can still use voice control, but only if that system is completely hands-free and doesn’t need you to reach for the phone.
AI Enforcement Technology
These new AI camera systems can catch you using your phone whether you’re driving through downtown Sydney or a country town, without a blink on rainy nights or gray afternoons. Inspectors have made it very clear that the silence-to-warning rule is out, so violations will get flashed to the ticket printer the instant the camera clicks, no grace period.
What Drivers Should Do Now
If you don’t have a flashy voice assistant yet, invest in Bluetooth car gear or stick an easy-use mount right near the gear shifter—so you barely reach your phone yet your eyes stay on the road. Before you throw your Hyundai into gear the Road Safety Commission says just plug your phone into Do Not Disturb while Driving mode, one tap and you’re temptation-free the whole trip.
This hefty $980 ticket is no casual price tag, but it shows Australia is serious about the one in three crashes the stats link to a moment of inattention. Officials confirmed the figure was set to nag enough to make you stop, yet leave mom and dad’s rent or your next phone payment out of the equation.