Plain clothes police pinged unsuspecting drivers during an operation on Friday afternoon.

Police caught 18 drivers using mobile phones, while five were booked for not wearing a seatbelt.

Bendigo Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant Peter Dyer described the results at “really disappointing”.

“The majority of there were people using their mobile on speaker phone, or using it while on their lap” Acting Sergeant Dyer said.

“People are getting more cunning while using their phone.

“The days of people holding their phone up to their ear seems to be gone.

“We ran this operation to catch people who think they might be a bit cleverer than police.”

Illegal use of a mobile phone while driving carries a penalty of four demerit points and a $443 fine.

Acting Sergeant Dyer warned police would ramp up their use of plain clothed spotters to detect traffic offences during the festival season.

“It’s still a very dangerous practice, sing your mobile phone while driving,” Acting Sergeant Dyer said.

“”You cannot touch your phone at all while driving.

“It’s disappointing to detect so many offences in the one afternoon.”

Twelve motorists were fined for other offences, including ignoring road markings and traffic signs.