Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Cameras hidden around Auckland by a government agency have recorded the better part of 1000 drivers per day unlawfully using their phones behind the wheel, the Herald can reveal. The cameras were installed at three secret spots by Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) as part of a six-month safety trial. Police are not involved in the trial and the findings will not lead to enforcement action or warning letters, the agency said. The findings for the first weeks of the trial, obtained by the Herald under the Official Information Act, revealed the shocking extent of illegal phone use - including texting - while driving in the Super City. Last year, the total number of infringement notices issued by police for illegal use of mobile phones while driving was 40,976 nationally. But the Waka Kotahi trial data shows there were 44,358 mobile phone use offences detected from May 24 to July 16 this year in Auckland alone, from a total of 3,662,024 vehicles travelling past the camera sites. That works out as an average of 83