Macedon Ranges police concerned by people failing to use seatbelts

It comes after seatbelts - or a lack thereof - were found to be a factor in about half of the fatal crashes in the Macedon Ranges so far this year.

A three-week police operation started in the Macedon Ranges this week targeting people who weren't wearing seatbelts, as well as drivers using mobile phones.

Police spotted eight seatbelt offences, three unregistered vehicles, two speeding offences, unlawful mobile phone use and one driver running a red light on the first day.

Macedon Ranges Highway Patrol Sergeant Mark Stephenson said he couldn't understand why people weren't wearing seatbelts.

Seatbelts have been mandatory in Victoria since 1970.

Sergeant Stephenson said plainclothes police were working across the region in conjunction with uniformed police to nab offenders.

Two hundred and forty-four people have lost their lives on Victoria's roads so far this year.

Nine of those people died in Macedon Ranges Highway Patrol's patch.

Sergeant Stephenson said Operation Macula aimed to ensure road safety was ever present in people's minds.

Macedon Ranges police have been driving a strong focus on driver distraction and complacency in recent months.

The sergeant believed their efforts were having an effect.

"People are a lot more aware of pecuniary consequences," he said.

Macedon Ranges police operation will end just as the statewide road safety campaign ramps up, ahead of the holiday season.

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