Police have been left shaking their heads in disbelief after catching a young driver at Warrnambool traffic lights watching a video on his mobile phone.
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Warrnambool and Portland highway patrol units have issued 36 tickets so far this long weekend as part of Victoria-wide Operation Arid.
Senior Constable Uwe Stolzenberg said the 23-year-old driver was intercepted at 10.05am Sunday's on Banyan Street after being seen watching the video on his mobile phone while it was on his lap at the traffic lights.
He said the driver was pulled over for a similar offence in June last year.
The driver made admissions and was issued with a $496 infringement notice which includes the loss of four demerit points.
Portland police have got the biggest speed so far for the Labour Day weekend, clocking a Warrnambool district driver at 132km/h on the Edenhope-Coleraine Road north of Coleraine on Friday.
That driver will be suspended from driving for six months and received a ticket for more than $500.
"It's a fair penalty and so it should be for travelling on a country road at that speed," Senior Constable Andrew Payne, of the Portland highway patrol unit, said.
Operation Arid started at midnight Thursday and will run through until midnight Monday, with all available police officer focusing on reducing road trauma, especially the fatal five main contributors - speed, impaired driving, fatigue, distraction and seatbelts.
Senior Constable Stolzenberg said the 20 tickets issued by Warrnambool highway patrol unit members included four mobile phone offences, six unregistered vehicles and a range of speeding offences, with the two highest speeds 119km/h on the Hopkins Highway near Ellerslie and along the Warrnambool-Cobden Road.
He said one vehicle had not been registered for 11 months.
The highway patrol officer said police wanted drivers to get home safely.
"The best way for that to happen is for drivers to be patient, plan ahead, have a break, obey the road rules and respect other drivers on the road," Senior Constable Stolzenberg said.
"We want everyone to enjoy the weekend but the most important thing is that everyone gets home safely," he said.
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