A rise in fake plates sparked Thursday's launch of the three-month road safety operation, named Operation Quebec Yield, which would involve officers going after drivers for red light, mobile phone and seat belt offences.

QPS figures showed there had been 156 fatalities recorded where seatbelts weren't worn and about 45,000 infringement notices issued for registration plate offences in five years.

Police aim to check all number plates on intercepted vehicles and educate motorists on replacing standard and accessory plates.

Road policing command Superintendent David Johnson said police had noticed an increase in the number of fake or cloned number plates on Queensland roads.

“We know those with false number plates are more likely to commit traffic offences and other criminal offences which puts our community at risk,” Superintendent Johnson said.

“Police use registration plates to trace stolen vehicles and vehicles involved in crime and life-endangering traffic offences such as disobeying red lights and speeding.”

Superintendent Johnson said motorists without proper vehicle registration were also not paying their fair share as a road user.

“It also means the state government has to foot the bill when motorists without insurance coverage cause crashes and injure others on our roads,” he said.

“In the last five years more than 70 people have lost their lives on our roads in crashes involving an unregistered vehicle while many more have been hospitalised and require medical treatment.”

Operation Quebec Yield will run from November 1 until January 31 next year.