Mobile Phone Laws
Australian Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Making a call using a hand-held phone while driving is in Australia is now illegal. Drivers practicing this are not only risking heavy fines and demerit points, but also endangering themselves, their passengers and other road users.
It doesn’t matter if your car is temporarily stopped at lights: it’s still illegal to make a call with a phone in your hands. All states ban texting and emailing while driving, whether your phone is mounted or not.
If you want to use your phone as a GPS, then it should be mounted in a stand designed for the purpose. The majority of states (everywhere except Queensland and WA) specify that the mount must be commercially manufactured; you can potentially be fined if you make your own.
Common sense suggests that you should minimise use of your phone while driving, and should stick to hands-free mode and a Bluetooth headset if you want to make calls. But precisely what you can and can’t do varies a little state by state. Here’s a brief overview of the law as it stands in each state. For more details check your local state road authority websites.
NSW Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Phones must either be operated entirely hands-free or placed in a commercially-manufactured cradle if you want to use GPS functions, place a call or play music. You can only touch a phone to hand it to another passenger. Learners and P1 drivers can’t operate phones at all.
Victorian Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Phones must either be operated entirely hands-free or placed in a commercially-manufactured cradle if you want to place a call or play music. If you want to use the phone as a GPS, it must be fixed in a commercially-manufactured cradle. Learners and P1 drivers can’t operate phones at all.
Queensland Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Phones must either be operated entirely hands-free or placed in a cradle if you want to place a call, use a GPS or play music. Learners and P1 drivers can’t operate phones at all, and supervising drivers can’t use phones in loudspeaker mode.
Western Australian Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Phones must either be operated entirely hands-free or placed in a cradle if you want to place a call or play music. If you want to use the phone as a GPS, it must be fixed in a cradle.
South Australian Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Phones must either be operated entirely hands-free or placed in a commercially-manufactured cradle if you want to place a call, use a GPS or play music. Learners and P1 drivers can’t operate phones at all.
Tasmanian Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Phones must either be operated entirely hands-free or placed in a commercially-manufactured cradle if you want to place a call. If you want to use the phone as a GPS, it must be fixed in a cradle.
ACT Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Phones must either be operated entirely hands-free or placed in a commercially-manufactured cradle if you want to place a call, use a GPS or play music.
Northern Territory Laws For Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving
Phones must either be operated entirely hands-free or placed in a cradle if you want to place a call, use a GPS or play music. Learners and P1 drivers can’t operate phones at all.