It’s less than two months into 2025 and already 17 lives have been lost on South Australian roads.
Driving while distracted has increasingly become one of the biggest crash causes.
Police have released staggering images from the phone detection cameras of just how dangerous some drivers can be.
One has a mobile in one hand and fast food in another, neither on the wheel.
Another appears to be holding a beer.
Police Minister Stephen Mullighan said “nothing could be more dangerous behind the wheel”.
“You are effectively driving blind folded if you are paying attention to your phone rather than paying attention to the road,” he said.
The distraction of a mobile phone is just one of the ways in which drivers are failing to take responsibility at the wheel.
“Distraction can be many things. It can be using your mobile phone, it can be turning around to talk to the kids in the back to stop them fighting, turning to talk to someone in the passenger seat,” acting Superintendent Jaimi Burns said.
A total of 91 lives were lost on South Australians roads last year.
More than half of those crashes involved speeding, distraction or dangerous driving.
Another 847 people were seriously injured.
Drug driving leads when it came to crashes in regional areas, and in an alarming number of motorbike crashes.
Pedestrians also make up too much of the road toll.
Now is one of the busiest periods for pedestrians on Adelaide roads amid the Fringe festival.
Police are ramping up patrols at Fringe hotspots targeting speeding and drink driving.
“For pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users, everyone has a role to play when it comes to being safe, on and around our roads,” Mullighan said.