Macedon Ranges Highway Patrol cracks down on seatbelt, mobile phone offences
Macedon Ranges police are cracking down on drivers flouting seatbelt and mobile phone laws in a three-week, undercover road operation. And motorists can expect to be stung with up to $500 fines if caught.
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Macedon Ranges police are cracking down on drivers flouting seatbelt and mobile phone laws with the launch of a three-week road operation.
Operation Macula – which began on November 20 – has already netted eight people for failing to wear a seatbelt.
Police also busted one driver using a mobile phone behind the wheel, found three unregistered vehicles, caught two motorists speeding and issued one traffic light infringement during the first day of the operation.
The exercise sees plain clothed officers acting as spotters who then relay offending to uniformed police that intercept and issue infringements to motorists further along the road.
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Macedon Ranges Highway Patrol has teamed up with uniform officers for the operation, which will be run over five separate days until the Christmas holiday road campaign starts on December 13.
Sergeant Mark Stephenson said road safety was a shared responsibility.
“This operation is intended to enhance the road safety message into the busy holiday period to keep everybody safe on our roads,” he said.
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“Highway patrol and general duties members will be out there, taking appropriate action against offending drivers to ensure everyone gets home safely.”
Drivers face a $496 fine and four demerit points for using a mobile phone behind the wheel, while anyone caught without a seatbelt will be docked $330.
The operation has already caught four more people not wearing a seatbelt than Operation Furlong, which ran across the Melbourne Cup long weekend.
That saw four seatbelt offences issued, one mobile phone offence, 14 unregistered vehicles detected and 57 speeding offences.