For the next week Bendigo police will be employing four high-speed trail bikes to navigate tight spots and catch drivers using their phones.

Leading Senior Constable Todd Deary said the bikes - on loan from Melbourne - allowed police to get closer to vehicles and better see into car windows.

He said police used the bikes on Friday and caught 20 drivers, each of whom was fined $443 and issued four demerit points.

He said texting while driving was one of the leading causes of road accidents in the Bendigo region.

"It causes all sorts of problems like lack of concentration and rear end collisions," he said.

"People are just not concentrating because they're on the phone.

"You have to shock them into doing the right thing."

The operation will be welcomed by Junortoun man Merv Gay, who narrowly avoided a head-on collision with a "moron" sending a text.

Mr Gay was travelling along Trotting Terrace, Junourtoun, on Friday morning when a car came around a bend on the wrong side of the road, about 50 metres from Mr Gay's car.

Mr Gay said the driver - who was looking at his phone - realised his mistake just in time, swerving into the left-hand lane to prevent a crash.

He said the man then continued to text.

"He just put his head back down and kept texting," Mr Gay said.

"I felt like turning the car around and chasing him.

"If I was only 30 metres (further) up the road we would have had a head-on.

"We often have groups of bike riders in this area.

"Had there been bike riders coming in that corner and had they been 30 metres further up the road he would have cleaned up to 20 or 30 bikes. People simply should not be texting while they're driving."

Police will also be on the lookout for drivers not wearing seat belts.