Recently on A Current Affair they ran a story about the dangers of people driving while talking or texting on their mobile phones. It's a bit problem and something which is almost impossible to police.
I'm not a cyclist myself (thought I want to get back into it), may background is in web design and I thought to myself "hey I can help with this problem, or at the very least raise awareness for the issue".
So I have built a website called http://www.roadtollzero.com.au
The big idea
Many people have video capable smart phones, and I've also come across numerous riders who actually ride with video cameras mounted on their bikes/helmets!
So the idea is that people can submit videos of dangerous drivers (it's not restricted to just people driving while talk/texting), and can submit it via the web site, where it will be passed onto the relevant police department of their state.
Essentially the main idea is that people can submit video evidence showing the make/model/rego of the car, and the alleged offence being committed and send it in to the police. The then have the potential to issue fines etc based on that.
Frequently asked questions
I'll try and address the most likely questions you may have before you even ask them here...
Q - If I'm driving and see someone texting while driving, are you expecting me to whip out my smartphone and record them while I'm driving?
A - Obviously not... If you submitted a video to police of someone using their phone while driving, and your video clearly showed that you were doing the exact same thing, that wouldn't be the greatest idea.

However I personally know of many situations where I've been a passenger in a vehicle and have had many opportunities to film someone in another vehicle doing something dangerous.
Q - Can the police actually issue fines etc as a direct result of this video evidence?
A - At this stage it's not that clear cut. There's a lot of legal mumbo jumbo surrounding the issue, but that's something for the police to figure out. The purpose of this exercise is to potentially inundate police with good quality evidence of these types of things so they simply cannot ignore it. It will also raise a lot of awareness through the media attention it will receive, and hopefully then change the rules so that the vast resource of proactive people with mobile cameras can be utilised.
We've all seen segments on the news of how someone has published footage of drag races, or people hooning and endangering lives, and straight away the Police are wanting to find the people in the video to talk to. It is definitely useful for them to have even if they don't directly lead to fines/charges on their own.
Q - When you submit a video, is it made public to name and shame the offenders?
A - No. Trust me when I started working on this project that was my intention. However it brings up a lot of issues legally, and to be honest I don't want to get sued. It's not youtube, the videos aren't going to be turned into an entertaining montage for a Worlds Worst Drivers TV show. When a video is submitted, it is passed onto the police and that's all.
Q - If there's no guarantee the police can directly use it, what's the point?
A - The idea is valid because I got in contact with some senior members of the QLD Police, who told me that they were working on an identical idea. Now in saying that they are so far away from getting their version online it's ridiculous. I pretty much designed and built my website in about 2 days, so there's a useful centralised resource for anyone in Australia to use right now.
Anyway hopefully that answers your most likely questions. I'm sure I've probably overlooked some. The reality is that people submit video evidence to the police all the time, this website simply provides a centralised place for people to do it. It also will help raise awareness and show that the public are wanting safe roads, and an annual road toll of zero!
There are some very prominent news organisations who are eager to do a story on this ASAP, and all I need is to collect a few more video submissions from people. I figured that cyclists would potentially be strong supporters of the idea, and that some of you may already have some examples of videos that you might be able to submit
