‘Shocking’ footage has been captured of a woman applying her make-up behind the wheel. Driving along the M40 in morning traffic, this motorist is so focused on applying her make-up that she doesn’t notice the police officers driving alongside her.
And according to National Highways, even when officers in an unmarked truck cab honk, she continues to apply her makeup, the car swerving as she focuses on the mirror. This is one of three newly released images from National Highways highlighting some of the ‘shocking driving’ police have spotted using unmarked trucks.
It comes ahead of a multi-agency week of action that will target unsafe drivers along the entire length of the M6. The second footage shows a van driver steering with his knees while eating his fast food. Without hands on the wheel, he eats a portion of fries, held in his right hand, before picking up his drink with his left hand.
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Police think he is on a hands-free phone call but then catches a truck in the second lane of the M6 as he drives past Corley Services. Everything was captured on camera by the police who drove alongside in the Operation Tram Line truck.
Meanwhile, in a third incident, a motorist is spotted driving along the M40 with a phone in her hand, apparently scrolling through her messages, and at one point with both hands off the wheel. The surprised officers then see the driver ‘doing something’ with her laptop next to her.
She hangs up the phone as the police let her know they’re there – after alerting their colleagues riding behind. All three incidents were captured by Warwickshire Police who patrolled the unmarked truck for just two days as part of the Operation Tramline safety campaign. A total of 63 violations were found.
These are the latest of more than 46,150 offenses recorded by officers in Operation Tramline trucks since the national safety initiative was launched by National Highways in 2015. The most common violations are not wearing a seat belt (13,562) and using a mobile phone. (11,965).
The truck cabs are now being deployed as part of the Week of Action on the M6, which takes place from Monday 3 June to Sunday 9 June, and which aims to reduce the number of incidents on the motorway. The week-long campaign will take place along the M6, the longest motorway in the country, and is therefore called Operation Vertebrae.
National Highways deals with more than 200 reported incidents on the M6 every day – 74,960 on the road in 2023, including 3,808 road accidents. Matt Staton, head of the National Highways’ National Road User Safety Delivery, said:
“We know that the shocking examples identified by police in our unmarked taxis are carried out by a small minority and, fortunately, that most drivers on our roads are part of the law-abiding majority. However, those who continue to take risks, such as using their cell phone while driving or doing anything that takes their hands off the wheel, are putting themselves and others at risk. The Week of Action aims to make all our roads safer by raising awareness and encouraging motorists to think carefully about their driving.
“In the meantime, thanks to our Tramline trucks, the police have been able to put an end to driving incidents that could very easily have led to serious damage on the road.” From their elevated vantage point in the unmarked truck cabs, police officers can see people driving dangerously – no matter what vehicle they are driving. The consequences for drivers range from warnings to fixed fines, summonses or arrests.
Seven forces are taking part in Operation Vertebrae: Lancashire, Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Warwickshire Police and Central Motorway Police Group, as well as the North West Commercial Vehicle Unit, North West Motorway Policing Group and a number of local road safety partnerships . .
Inspector Si Paull from Warwickshire Police said: “Our officers are very keen to take part in operations using unmarked National Highways owned trucks as it allows us to intercept these types of drivers who don’t take driving seriously and so on. could easily be involved in a serious or fatal collision.
“Our aim is to save lives and unfortunately we see too many motorists showing total disregard for their own safety and that of other road users while traveling at motorway speeds. Warwickshire Police and partners will be carrying out regular operations using National Highways trucks this year and whilst we always choose to train drivers first, due to the high stakes involved in some road traffic offences, officers will be forceful in their actions against the motorists involved.
Sergeant Matthew Picton, from Cheshire Police Northwest Commercial Vehicle Unit, said: “People continue to take risks on the country’s roads which is completely unacceptable. Having a driver’s license comes with a great responsibility to keep people safe. each other on our paths.
“Operation Vertebrae aims to bring together internal and external partners to tackle those who pose a risk on our roads. We cannot simply accept that five people are being killed every day in Britain and that thousands more are seriously injured. This involves both enforcement and information, aimed at drivers who refuse to change their behavior. We will hit the highway and take action against those who make the wrong decisions.”
You can view images of the other incidents here and here.
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