car in motion with blurred background
Victoria state government has introduced technology to allow police to stop dangerous drivers in Australia. Credit: toine Garnier on Unsplash.

The Government of Victoria in Australia has equipped its police force with road safety technology to target dangerous drivers.

As part of the initiative, minister for police and emergency services Lisa Neville launched the first highway patrol vehicle fitted with automatic number plate recognition and in-car video technology.

The automatic number plate recognition and in-car video recording system will enable Victoria police to catch dangerous drivers and take their vehicles off the roads.

The number plate recognition system can scan up to 2,500 number plates an hour. It will also enable police to identify criminals using stolen cars, while also helping to solve fuel theft.

Additionally, cameras will monitor unlicensed motorists, drivers with interlock conditions, unregistered or stolen vehicles, and road users with pending warrants.

Using in-car video technology, the highway patrol can record audio and footage of traffic policing activities such as roadside intercepts, which can be used in court as evidence.

“We’ve had a shocking start to the road toll this year, automatic number plate recognition will help target motorists who shouldn’t be on the road.”

The government said that the new technology will be deployed across 38 highway patrol vehicles by the mid-2019, while the full launch is scheduled for completion by 2021.

The first such vehicle will be deployed in Bendigo.

Neville said: “We’re making sure Victoria police has all the resources they need to nab dangerous drivers and get them off our roads.

“We’ve had a shocking start to the road toll this year, automatic number plate recognition will help target motorists who shouldn’t be on the road.

“These upgrades are part of our biggest ever investment in Victoria Police which is delivering 3,135 extra police and the latest equipment to keep the community safe.”

The roll-out is backed by the Victoria Government’s A$2bn Community Safety Statement commitment to install automatic number plate recognition technology across 221 highway patrol vehicles.