The Brimbank highway patrol is cracking down on drivers using mobile phones in the lead-up to the Christmas-New Year ‘silly season’.
Operation Triumph, which runs until the end of the year, will also use police in plain clothes as spotters to detect seatbelt offences.
The blitz is funded by the Transport Accident Commission and follows 450 injury-related collisions in Brimbank this year.
Brimbank highway patrol officer Sergeant Bill Joannidis said many accidents were caused by drivers rear-ending other cars because they were distracted by their phones or were too close to the vehicle in front.
Police in plain clothes will be stationed on footpaths, median strips, footbridges, pedestrian crossings and shopping centre carparks and will call in uniformed colleagues to intercept and book offenders.
More than 80 offences have been detected on each patrol already undertaken as part of the operation.
Sergeant Joannidis said the operation would catch drivers who placed their phones on their laps or held them just below the steering wheel to text or talk on speaker.
“The problem of driver distraction and mobile phone use is a major challenge for Victoria Police and the community,” Sergeant Joannidis said.
“Mobile phones are very popular with our younger drivers. Many of them not only talk on their phones but also use Facebook and Twitter.
“Using a phone in this manner, where the driver has to type words and take their eyes off the road, is extremely dangerous.
“The fact that many of these drivers are also young and inexperienced makes it a dangerous combination.”
Sergeant Joannidis said police were also targeting seatbelt use because of the large number of lower-speed rear-end collisions resulting in injury because the driver or a passenger was not wearing a seatbelt.
Drivers caught using a mobile phone while behind the wheel face a $443 fine and the loss of three demerit points.
Not wearing a seatbelt results in a $295 fine and three demerit points.
