Nearly 30 Tauranga motorists were caught using their mobile phones while driving during a one-hour police operation.

This comes as police figures show mobile phone infringements have risen sharply across the Bay of Plenty over the past 15 years.

During the recent Tauranga operation, police issued 29 infringement notices during a one-hour operation in Welcome Bay.

Road policing Sergeant Andrew Tarr said officers were alarmed by the behaviour they witnessed.

“We were seeing some people with no hands on the steering wheel blatantly texting, while others were trying to do it a bit more sneakily away from the window.”

Mobile phone offending has surged across the region over the past 15 years. Police data shows 278 mobile phone infringement notices were issued across Bay of Plenty districts in 2009.

By 2024, that number had climbed to 3347, an increase of more than 1100%.

The Western Bay of Plenty recorded the highest number of offences last year, with 1290 infringement notices issued, compared with 138 in 2009.

Mobile phone offences across the Bay of Plenty have surged by more than 1100% in 15 years, with police warning distracted driving remains a major crash risk. Photo / Bevan Conley

That meant the district accounted for about 39% of all mobile phone infringements across the Bay of Plenty in 2024.

Rotorua also recorded a significant increase, rising from 72 offences in 2009 to 914 last year, while Eastern Bay of Plenty climbed from 16 to 160 infringements over the same period.

Tarr said driver inattention remained a major contributor to crashes.

“From experience, we know that inattention is a factor in a high number of non-injury nose-to-tail crashes in Tauranga, and those can easily become more serious.

“Things can change in a split second, and if you’re not paying attention, you may not have time to react and avoid a crash.”

He said distracted driving put everyone on the road at risk.

“It’s not just about the safety of the driver, but everyone around them, including passengers, pedestrians, and other road users.”

At the current infringement fee of $150, the 3347 mobile phone offences recorded across the Bay of Plenty in 2024 would equate to more than $500,000 in fines.

Police say the Welcome Bay operation is the first of several planned across the region as they continue efforts to reduce distracted driving.

Tarr’s message to motorists was simple.

“We would rather drivers had a missed call than a missed opportunity to get home safely.

“If you need to use your phone, find somewhere safe to pull over.

“If you’re waiting for a message to put your phone down while driving, consider this your notification.”