The number one target of drivers using mobile phones is no surprise, but that's just the start of it.

There are estimates that up to 50 per cent of our accidents are caused by driver distraction.

According to motoring expert John Cadogan “this problem is increasing because cars aren't just transport anymore. They're glorified lounge rooms on wheels, where you can play movies and distract yourself in numerous other ways, with GPS and all sorts of menu-driven systems, as well as just feeding yourself, or making sure you look okay when you jump out. It's crazy.”

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Every day thousands of people remain distracted on the roads, and the consequences are dire.

In the United States, 16,000 people die each year in accidents due to mobile phone use. It's against the law, but have a look in the lane next to you, and you've a good chance of seeing someone flaunting it.

Detective inspector Phil Brooks from the New South Wales police takes offence at the suggestion that police efforts to stop dangerous driving are failing. But he admits the number of accidents caused by distracted drivers are a major concern.

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“Well certainly in the last three years we've had 14,000 accidents across the Sydney road network,” he said.

Police are fed up with idiots who treat their car like their apartment – eating breakfast, reading the paper, putting on lipstick, and of course using mobile phones.

“Quite often people's lack of concentration will lead to a serious accident, or even a fatality,” Brooks said.

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Teams of police, led by Brooks, are on the cusp of a massive crackdown with Operation Free Flow.

“Operation Free Flow will have police vehicles strategically placed, that will allow us to respond to those accidents very quickly, with the assistance of closed circuit television cameras, operated by the roads and maritime service,” he said.

“We see many people at our driving training that think that they can drive while on the phone, and what they mistake is the holding of the phone as the danger - but it's the brain being used for another complex task. This experiment showed that basic chit chat is illegal and dangerous, but it's less impairing than when there is memory, stuff coming out of deep memory, and even worse when it is emotionally charged.”