Driving offences including suspected drug driving, motorists using their phone at the wheel and a one-month-old baby found not properly restrained have been detected by officers during tje latest Operation Tramline in Lincolnshire.
The operation, in conjunction with National Highways, uses a so-called “supercab” to identify unsafe and distracting driver behaviour on major routes, aiming to improve safety by tackling distracted driving.
Officers from Lincolnshire Roads Policing Unit detected a total of 99 offences being committed on the A1 during the four-day operation last week.
During the operation, the unmarked HGV loaned to the force by National Highways, patrols the main roads to observe driver behaviours in all vehicles. The elevated position of the lorry helped officers to identify and deal with a number of offences, including 53 drivers (or their passengers) not wearing seatbelts.
Officers also saw two instances of children not being restrained in a vehicle, with one of them being a one-month-old baby in just a car seat. The other was a three-year-old not restrained at the back of the vehicle, with neither the driver not the passenger wearing seatbelts.
A man was also arrested for failing a roadside drugs wipe.
Ten drivers were also found holding their mobile phones to their ears, while 16 were found either holding their phones or with the phone resting on their laps while driving.
Officers also dealt with one driver not being in proper control, one with no MOT, two disqualified drivers, two for driving with insecure loads, two for driving with no insurance, four for driving without due care and four for construction and use offences to do with vehicle condition.
Three drivers were also issued prohibition notices, with one being an overweight vehicle.
The offences were dealt with by way of Traffic Offence Reports and summons. These can potentially result in a fine of £100 for failing to wear a seatbelt, £200 and six penalty points for using a handheld mobile device and a £300 fine for driving a vehicle in contravention of a prohibition.
Penalties for driving whilst disqualified can lead to a fine of up to £5,000 and up to six months’ imprisonment.
Inspector Jason Baxter from Central Operations said: “The use of the lorry from National Highways enables our Roads Policing Officers to detect some offences that would otherwise be a challenge to identify.
“Making the roads safer for all road users is what our communities want our Roads Policing Officers to be leading on, and we will continue to deal with offences positively, remembering that any of us or our loved ones could be impacted by such behaviours whilst using the roads.
“We have more operations planned for the remainder of the year, so look out for our RPU Officers who will be out again on the roads near you.”
National Highways Assistant Regional Safety Co-ordinator Marie Biddulph, said: “Working closely with our police partners, National Highways is striving to stamp out unsafe driving on our network.
“Our Operation Tramline HGVs give officers an elevated perspective and clear view into all vehicles and can easily spot those who put themselves and others at risk by using a mobile phone at the wheel, not wearing a seatbelt or similar.
“We always hope that our HGVs will go out and no instances of unsafe driving will be seen so it is disappointing to see 99 offences spotted on the A1. But we hope that knowing our HGVs are on the road will persuade all motorists to consider their driving behaviour, making the roads safer for everyone.”
(Picture – National Highways)
