Dozens of drivers found breaking rule there’s ‘no excuse’ not to follow
DOZENS of drivers have been found breaking a rule which there is "no excuse" for not following. Police have released footage of some of the most dangerous driving behaviours that can be committed by drivers, known as the ‘fatal 4’.
The footage was captured during the latest Operation Tramline that took place on the M40 and M42 and A46 in Warwickshire[1] between 22 and 26 July 2024. 129 offences were detected including a total of 95 drivers who were using a handheld mobile phone, speeding or not wearing a seatbelt whilst travelling at speeds of up to 70mph on Warwickshire’s motorways.
During the operation, 37 drivers using a mobile phone whilst driving were caught by officers observing driver behaviour in all vehicles from the elevated position of the National Highways’ owned HGV supercab. Sergeant Scott Good who led the operation said: “The number of drivers who think it is ok to use a mobile phone whilst driving, not wear a seatbelt or speed never ceases to amaze me. These are not ‘good’ drivers as they have chosen to do this when they have a responsibility to keep themselves and others safe on the roads.
“We would recommend that you plan ahead and make your phone calls when you pull into the services or a layby for a break. Allow plenty of time for your journey so you are not tempted to speed and there’s really no excuse for not wearing a seatbelt. It’s so easy and quick to do. “We will continue to conduct regular operations to detect these bad drivers so that we can encourage them to choose to drive legally and safely." National Highways Assistant Regional Safety Coordinator Marie Biddulph said: “We believe that no-one should be harmed while using our roads and our goal, through initiatives such as Operation Tramline, is to make people think about their driving behaviour and to have all road users travelling safely. “So it is disappointing when we see the number of people still driving inappropriately on our roads. Research shows that you are four times more likely to be in a collision if you use your phone while driving and twice as likely to die in a crash if you don’t wear a seatbelt. “But, thanks to Operation Tramline and Warwickshire Police, some 100 people have been stopped and have learnt about the risks they posed to themselves and others.”References