More than 100 drivers pulled over on motorways in Warwickshire during four-day police operation

MORE than 100 drivers were pulled over on motorways in Warwickshire during a four-day police operation. Officers from Warwickshire Police patrolled the M40 and M42 using an unmarked HGV to pull alongside vehicles and film evidence of illegal and irresponsible driving. Drivers seen committing an offence were then pulled over by a following police car.

Officers identified 107 offences, with 80 of them involving the ‘fatal four’ driving offences – speeding, drink and drug driving, driving while distracted, and not wearing a seatbelt. Among them was a tanker driver who was spotted watching video on his phone, who was referred to the West Midlands Traffic Commissioner due to the increased responsibility that driving a tanker brings. One driver was caught speeding at 97mph on the M40.

And a 57-year-old man from Henley-in-Arden was arrested on suspicion of drink driving just after 9am on November 6 on the M42. He was later charged to appear before Warwickshire Magistrates on December 15. Sgt Scott Good said: “During the operation it was encouraging to see so many drivers, particularly the HGV drivers, using our motorways safely, driving at the speed limit, wearing seatbelts and not using a handheld phones.

These are big vehicles that can cause significant harm to other road users if they are involved in a collision. “We were also pleased to see so many responsible drivers keeping their full attention on the road at all times. “Our officers would much rather spend their time educating drivers to help change their behaviour in operations like these, than being called to a collision when it is too late.

If you are driving in Warwickshire, please look out for our OPU Officers who will be out again very soon on the roads and motorways near you.”