Police in undercover lorry ‘super-cab’ catch dozens of rule-breaking drivers in motorway crackdown
A driver towing a horsebox was one of dozens caught on their phones in a major police crackdown. The Isuzu 4x4 driver was towing a horse trailer on the M40 and caught on camera using a mobile phone.
Rule-breaking drivers were caught by Warwickshire Police officers patrolling from the elevated position of a National Highways’ owned HGV 'super-cab'. Traffic cops also caught a Ford Fiesta driver scrolling through his mobile phone whilst holding it in his right hand on the M42 near Junction 3a.
The footage was captured during Warwickshire[1] Police's Operation Tramline that took place on the M40 and M42 and A46 between July 22 and 26 of this year. During the operation, 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.
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One van driver was also spotted texting on his mobile phone while stopped at traffic lights and he continued as the lights changed and he moved off. However being stationary in traffic such as at traffic lights or in a motorway jam counts as driving, and any hand-held mobile phone use is illegal except in very limited circumstances.
A further nine drivers were not in proper control of their vehicle, said Warwickshire officers. Sgt Scott Good 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.
The driver of this Isuzu 4x4 was towing a horse box trailer on the M40, whilst using a handheld mobile phone 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 (Image: Warwickshire Police)
“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
- ^ Warwickshire (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
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