When Perth mother Lisa Taylor's 11-year-old daughter slipped one arm out of her seatbelt, the family had been on the road for over two hours, returning from a holiday in Dunsborough over the Christmas period.

The transgression was picked up by one of WA's new AI safety cameras, which detect people not wearing or incorrectly wearing seatbelts and using mobile phones.

Ms Taylor discovered what her daughter had done when she received an infringement in the mail and a photograph of what happened, costing her $500 and eight demerit points.

"I secured my daughter's seatbelt correctly before we left home, as I always do. Safety has always been a big priority for me and my family," Ms Taylor told Nadia Mitsopoulos on ABC Radio Perth.

"I think where we've come up with a bit of a problem is, 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.

Ms Taylor said she intended to challenge the fine.

"Eight demerit points is two-thirds of my licence. I'm a single mum. That puts myself and other parents at risk of losing their ability to drive their children to school and medical appointments over something they may have tried to prevent."

Thousands of fines issued

The safety cameras were introduced to WA in 2025. There was an eight-month caution period, during which drivers were sent notices but no penalties.

Fines and demerit points have applied since October 8, 2025.

Police revealed in December that more than 31,000 fines were issued in the first month.

The AI software initially detects potential mobile phone and incorrect seatbelt use, but images are reviewed by police before infringements are sent out.

Ms Taylor said the use of a camera meant that opportunities to educate and correct her daughter were not possible, as they would have been if she had been pulled over by police.

"A police officer may have said to my 11-year-old daughter, 'It's really important to remind you that you do not adjust your seatbelt throughout the drive without pulling over,'" she said.

"However, given her neurodiverse profile, she does tend to do things without a second thought at times."

Ms Taylor was one of many listeners to ABC Radio Perth who called in with stories of errant passengers who had cost them dearly.

Olarni Brown is a P-plater who was caught with a passenger not wearing a seatbelt correctly during the December double-demerit period, costing her $500 and the loss of her licence for three months.

"I was just focusing on the road, not knowing that my passenger had the seatbelt under their arm, for God knows how long, because I was too busy concentrating," she said.

"And [I] came home from work to a $500.50 fine and my whole licence gone."

Ms Brown said she could not afford to challenge the penalty and would simply have to manage without driving for three months.

"I completely get the law's there and for safety reasons … but to cop that when you're just responsibly driving, I feel like it's a bit unfair," she said.

A costly habit

For ABC Radio Perth listener Tom, a bad habit of wearing his seatbelt under his arm also proved extremely costly.

"I go past the same AI camera to work every day, and on the 19th of February … I got seven notices of the same type of offence with the seatbelt under my arm and not over my shoulder," he said.

"You may not have sympathy for that, but the thing that I think is unfair about that is, if you'd been picked up by a cop the first time, you may have said, 'Oh, obviously I've got an issue here. I'm not doing this deliberately, but I've obviously got a habit that I've got into.'"

Tom has racked up 36 demerit points, well over the 12 allowed, and a $500 fine for each notice.

"Now I'm going to lose my licence," he said.

To make matters worse, Tom also received a fine after his partner did the same thing as a passenger in his car.

"I don't think, as a matter of law, that that is a reasonable obligation to impose on a driver," he said.

"I think the obligation must be to ensure it is properly fastened at the beginning of the trip, but it can't be an ongoing obligation because obviously you have to focus on the road."

In a statement, a state government spokesperson said that "if multiple offences are captured before the first infringement arrives in the mail, the subsequent infringements can be waived and this process is happening now".

Appeal process available

WA Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said drivers were responsible for the behaviour of passengers in their car.

"What we are finding now is, because the cameras are so effective, we are catching a lot more people," he said.

"Before it was a police officer pulling you over and you had the opportunity on the side of the road to tell the circumstances to the officer and the officer has discretion. That doesn't apply to the cameras."

Mr Warner said everyone had the right to appeal and he encouraged anyone who felt their penalty was unfair to do so.

"For most people, getting pinged by a camera is a wake-up call to be more mindful and take care."

Mr Warner said a review of the penalties was underway.

"We want to increase the flexibility for people issuing infringements, so we are not being the blunt stick to everybody," he said.

A state government spokesperson said any driver who received an infringement could request a review, free of charge.

"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.

"Drivers and passengers may have medical reasons why a seatbelt cannot be worn correctly, and if this is the case, people can obtain a medical exemption from their GP, and this exemption can be used in the appeal process."

Funds received from safety camera infringements are sent to the Road Trauma Trust Account to be used for road safety initiatives.