4. Delivering the program

Victoria Police does not consistently use evidence when it identifies camera sites. This is because its criteria for identifying camera sites cannot always be supported by evidence. It also does not always keep complete records during this process.

Jenoptik and Victoria Police’s processes to capture images, verify offences and issue infringements work well. But the department and Jenoptik breached the regulations’ privacy requirements by keeping images for longer than allowed. 

3. Improving road safety

The department commissioned an independent evaluation of the program in early 2025, 2 years after it began. But the department did not collect baseline data about road accidents, serious injuries and deaths linked to distracted driving or not wearing a seatbelt, or on public attitudes. 

Existing data does not reliably identify which accidents, injuries and fatalities are caused by distracted driving or not wearing a seatbelt. The department will not establish a method to get this information until at least mid-2026.

1. Our key findings

What we examined

Our audit followed 2 lines of inquiry: 

1. Are the Department of Justice and Community Safety (the department) and Victoria Police managing the distracted driver and seatbelt detection camera program (the program) appropriately?

2. Is the department evaluating the program's contribution to road safety?

To answer these questions, we examined: