Police target mobile phone users

NSW Police are targeting drivers illegally using mobile phones, after 387 people were caught during a statewide crackdown yesterday.

Dubbed Operation Compliance 2, the one-day operation targeted offences such as drivers illegally using mobile phones while driving, according to NSW Police.

Chief Superintendent John Hartley, traffic services commander at NSW Police, said drivers who were using handheld mobile phones couldn't be paying full attention to the road.

"If you are not paying attention while you are driving, you are at a greater risk of being involved in a crash," Hartley said. "You may not be able to respond to unexpected hazards on the road such as a child running out after a ball or a pet."

Hartley estimated about 10,000 people each year were fined for illegally using mobile phones. "Investing in and using a hands-free kit, or pulling over in a safe spot to take a call is the simplest way to avoid paying this fine and not losing three demerit points from your licence," he said.

The Operation was part of a series of statewide blitzes that targeted inappropriate driver behaviour, according to a NSW Police statement.