Operation Compliance was rolled out by highway patrol officers on Wednesday to target dangerous drivers around schools zones and using mobile phones behind the wheel.

Across the Oxley, New England and Barwon commands, 40 drivers were slapped with infringements for doing the wrong thing including speeding, using a phone or disobeying road rules.

The figure was one third of all drivers booked in the Western Region.

“It’s irresponsible behaviour, and it only takes a matter of moments for something to go horribly wrong,” Head of Western Region Highway Patrol Inspector Peter McMenamin told The Leader.

“Phones and inattention are a major causal factor with serious injury and fatal crashes.

“Drivers have a responsibility to obey the law and drive to conditions or face the consequences.”

The one-day blitz also saw 16 locals nabbed for using a mobile phone outside of school zones, while one driver was issued an infringement for not keeping left.

Police also issued 23 other notices for defects and other vehicle infringements.

Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said every operation was aiming to combat the mounting road toll and that it wasn’t fair to put innocent children at risk.

“Recently we have seen too many people drink-driving, speeding, or using phones in cars in cars with children as passengers,” he said.

“We have also seen too many people driving dangerously around school zones.

“To think that children, who are innocent bystanders or passengers in cars, could be killed because of someone else’s stupid behaviour is beyond comprehension.”