NSW will be the first place in the world to introduce speed-camera-style technology to detect and crack down on illegal mobile phone use by motorists.

To reduce the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on the roads, the new rules passed by NSW Parliament on Wednesday also extend mobile drug testing to include cocaine and toughen penalties for drivers under the influence of drugs.

Road safety experts have been shocked by the lengths motorists go to hide mobile use. Credit:Ken Robertson

The NSW Minister for Roads, Melinda Pavey, likened the decision to allow cameras to detect illegal phone use by drivers as similar to the ''revolutionary'' decision on December 17, 1982 to introduce breath-testing technology to catch motorists driving under the influence. It cut fatal accidents by 48 per cent.

Between 2012 to 2017, 184 crashes involved illegal mobile phone use, and resulted in seven deaths and 105 injuries.