A female driver has been left mortified after discovering a traffic camera photographed her underwear.
A female driver has been left mortified after discovering a traffic camera photographed her underwear.
Cinzie Lee had been captured by a mobile phone detection camera in NSW with her phone on her lap as she was driving.
When she received the photo she was shocked to find the image showed her underwear.
“You could see up my skirt, between my legs. You could see my underwear,” she told 2GB.
Usually, when there’s any sensitive materials in these photos, a black bar is put over the area to censor it.
But the image had not been censored.
ACinzie Lee had been captured by a mobile phone detection camera in NSW with her phone on her lap as she was driving. Picture: Stock image
Ms Lee said she was left feeling “shock and distress” as the picture had been verified by staff before a fine was issued, meaning multiple people had seen it.
She said she admits she was in the wrong for having her phone on her lap but thought more should be done to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
“Obviously this is happening, probably more than anyone realises,” she said.
“You have no control over who is seeing those photos and how many people are seeing those photos,” she said.
She raised the issue with Service NSW, but received little response.
She then was asked to speak to a prosecutor about the issue.
“I went to court because I wanted to be a voice for the women of New South Wales that this was happening to, and I felt that no one was listening to me, so I wanted it at least to go on the record.”
The magistrate dismissed the upskirting issue in favour of discussing the mobile phone use.
The case was dismissed because of her “impeccable” driving record but Ms Lee was determined to continue her fight so she took her story to the broadcaster.
“I definitely think there has to be a review for sure or there should be some kind of notice given to women and children in New South Wales that anytime you hop into a car, your crotch, between your legs, can be photographed.”
NSW Minister for Roads Natalie Ward confirmed to the broadcaster that a review will take place as a result of Ms Lee’s experience.
“I understand the distress and I have asked Transport for NSW to review protocols for the handling of sensitive images,” she said.
Mobile phone detection cameras
Mobile phone detection cameras have been targeting drivers illegally using a mobile phone across NSW since March 2020.
During the pilot program, which took place from January to June 2019, 100,000 drivers were found to be using a mobile phone illegally.
The artificial intelligence software automatically reviews images and detects potential offending drivers, and excludes images of non-offending drivers from further action.
Images that are automatically deemed likely to contain a mobile phone offence will be verified by personnel.
Images rejected by the artificial intelligence will typically be permanently deleted within an hour of detection.
Both fixed and transportable versions of the cameras use the same camera technology.
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