Revealed: the number of driving offences recorded in Staffordshire in five-day crackdown

As part of Operation Tramline, officers from the Staffordshire Police Road’s Policing Unit completed a series of targeted patrols around the county from February 12 to February 16.

Officers spotted drivers falling short of the expected road safety standards on the A38, A34, A5, A449 and A50.

Staffordshire Police said that most commonly, offending motorists were caught not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone behind the wheel and speeding.

Other offences recorded as part of the operation included a motorbike displaying an illegal number plate and having defective mirrors, a disqualified driver being stopped and a motorbike being seized after the driver was “riding carelessly”.

PC Sambrook, who was part of the operation, said: “Officers and local partners in Staffordshire are committed to championing road safety and ensuring we continue to minimise the opportunity for people to be killed or seriously injured as a result of negligence on our roads.

“Operation Tramline is one of the many ways we work alongside National Highways and other agencies to proactively police our roads and make sure motorists uphold the standards expected of them.”

The operation sees officers driving around in an unmarked HGV cab, owned by National Highways, who spot road traffic offences in real time.

These offences are then radioed to police who then pull-over the suspect drivers and deal with the offences.

PC Sambrook added: “We have seen first-hand the devastating effects that road traffic offences can have as well as the disruption that can be caused to emergency services if roads are disrupted or blocked by negligent drivers.

“In some cases, offenders do not admit or recognise their negligence, particularly if they have developed bad habits over time such as travelling above the speed limit or not indicating at junctions.

“It is vital that we continue to educate drivers on the importance of road traffic safety and take appropriate enforcement action where necessary.”