They were caught in just two days in Operation Pinball, which runs until Saturday and coincides with the 40th anniversary of seatbelt legislation.

Police are disappointed that the message about wearing seatbelts has not sunk in with drivers.

Highway patrols will target high-risk areas including Hume, which is ranked the seventh-worst local government area for road trauma.

Motorists caught driving without a seatbelt are fined $239 and lose three demerit points.

Passengers without a seatbelt are fined the same amount, but do not lose points.

Traffic support division superintendent Neville Taylor said drivers and passengers underestimated the importance of wearing a seatbelt.

Last year, 41 drivers and passengers who died on Victorian roads were not wearing seatbelts.

"As statistics show, in 1970 the road toll was 1061. Within the first year of seatbelt laws, the number of deaths dropped by 13per cent to 923, proving this simple action of buckling up really does have an impact," he said.

Deputy Commissioner for road policing Ken Lay said it was disappointing people still did not comply with the seatbelt laws, despite clear evidence these saved lives.

More than a fifth of drivers fined during highway patrol traffic operations this year were not wearing seatbelts.

"Wearing a seatbelt is one of the easiest things people can do to protect themselves and their families on the roads ... In so many instances people would have survived or escaped with minor injuries had they been wearing a properly secured seatbelt.

"The road toll [this year] is at a critical point at 198, which is 19 more deaths than last year.

"It's crucial that the community acts with more vigilance and works with us to curb this trend and stop the unnecessary loss of life on our roads."