Tamworth drivers issued fines and penalty notices after breaking traffic rules around school zones during Oxley police Operation Spoiler

Operation Spoiler highway patrol police have been targeting the areas around schools and what they learnt has left them with serious safety concerns.

"Unfortunately, it was quite disappointing," Peel Highway Patrol manager Inspector Kelly Wixx said.

"All forms of traffic offences were detected."

Inspector Wixx told the Leader a person was caught on the final day of the operation hooning at 69 kilometres per hour in an active school zone on Cole Road near Peel High School.

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The offender was slapped with a $739 fine and lost five demerit points, a penalty "significantly" heftier than if the same level of speeding offence was detected outside a school zone.

The operation ran across two days last month and wrapped up on Tuesday, the same day high school leavers started their final exams.

Police had intercepted 479 vehicles and issued 61 infringement notices for offences like speeding, using a mobile phone and parking.

A further 84 infringements were dished out for traffic offences like not wearing a seatbelt and driving without a license, or in an unregistered vehicle.

A few drivers stopped in school areas returned a positive roadside detection for illicit drugs and one was allegedly busted with a small amount of cannabis on them.

"We want to maintain the safety of not only the children but also parents and all other road users," Inspector Wixx said.

"We really just don't want drivers to be complacent ... be aware that kids are unpredictable.

"I would hate to have to go ... and be faced with a situation where a child has been hit by a car, nobody wants that."

Inspector Wixx warned that even parents trying to do the right thing could be accidentally putting kids at risk.

She said parking outside signposted areas, like too close to a pedestrian crossing, could hinder the line of sight for oncoming cars.

"Even though we have concluded the three-day intensive operation, police are still going to be targeting school zone compliance," Inspector Wixx said.

"The school zones are clearly signposted and everyone knows when they are in force."

The 40 kilometre per hour zone around schools is active on week days outside school holidays from 8am to 9:30am and again from 2:30pm to 4pm.

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