Australian police in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria are considering the introduction of a new type of laser speed camera, which can catch drivers using mobile phones, as well as speeding motorists from half a mile away.

The cameras, known as Concept II, have been manufactured by Tele-Traffic UK and are already in use by UK’s Dorset police as the latest tool in their zero tolerance campaign against driving offences.

The cameras, estimated to be worth $20,000 each, are mounted on a roadside tripod and can record video evidence of 3,997 offences to DVD.

An NSW police spokesman was quoted by The Daily Telegraph as saying: "As speeding and using a mobile phone while driving are both dangerous, we would certainly look at technology that facilitates driver compliance on the state’s roads."

Apart from recording speeding offences and mobile use, Tele-Traffic UK noted that the operator can use the cameras to record and mark other offences, such as not wearing a seat belt and failing to stop at a red light.

The Concept II can also be used in conjunction with automatic number plate readers and the company stated that the cameras will allow the operator to set a threshold speed limit, below which enforcement is not required.

After capturing the data, it will mark the DVD recorded images both visibly and invisibly in a recoverable format. Officers will be able to use the pictures and video as evidence to secure a conviction.

The core of the system consists of a LTI 20.20 UltraLyte 1000 laser speed detection device, a tele-traffic display control unit, an integrated video camera and a professional zoom lens. The rest can be modified to the user’s requirements.

Tele-Traffic UK said the recording medium used is DVD+R technology, which offers better flexibility for evidence gathering in speed enforcement at a range of up to 600m.