Police in Brimbank and Melton are cracking down on drivers who use mobile phones while behind the wheel.
Operation Prone will run once a month in both suburbs, targeting drivers who are using phones or not wearing seatbelts.
Sergeant Andy Oakley, of the Brimbank highway patrol, said driver distractions, such as using mobile phones while driving, were adding significantly to the state road toll.
“If you’re on your phone, you’re accident- prone,” Sergeant Oakley said. “You need to put your phone down.”
Sergeant Oakley said the operation had already been hugely successful
with at least 50 penalty notices given out each time it has run.
He said results showed motorists were continuing to use their phones for social media, texting and talking while driving.
“It means they’re taking their eyes off the road … endangering everyone,” he said. “It’s very dangerous.”
Sergeant Oakley compared driving while using a mobile phone to driving with a blindfold.
“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when it’s going to happen to you.
“If you continue to use your phone [while driving], you’re going to either be killed or seriously injured, or you’re going to kill or injure someone else,” Sergeant Oakley said. The “spotter”-type operation puts plainclothes officers on the lookout for offences, which are then forwarded to uniformed officers who intercept vehicles.
If caught using a phone while driving, motorists will be hit with a $443 fine and four demerit points.
Sergeant Oakley said police took a zero- tolerance approach to using mobiles while driving. “Don’t expect any leeway or warnings,” he said;
but do expect a fine or more serious charge.”
Yasemin Talat
