Police patrolling the M1 motorway in unmarked heavy goods vehicle (HGV) cabs have caught nearly 700 motoring offences in just one week. Across eight police forces, a total of 663 vehicles were stopped, uncovering 691 breaches of the law.
Offences ranged from mobile phone use while driving to driving without insurance. Penalties issued included advice, traffic offence reports, 14 court summons, and five arrests.
The most common offences involved mobile phone use, seatbelt violations, and careless driving. In the Midlands region, covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Northamptonshire, 309 offences were recorded. These included 108 drivers failing to wear seatbelts, 62 caught texting or calling while driving, and 27 charged with driving without due care.
One driver in Nottinghamshire was stopped for using a mobile phone, but officers also discovered he had no driving licence and no insurance, resulting in multiple charges.
National Highways supplies unmarked HGV cabs to police as part of Operation Tramline. These vehicles provide officers with a high vantage point to spot reckless road users more effectively.
Jeremy Phillips, National Highways Head of Road Safety, said: “Hundreds of thousands of motorists travel over 21 million miles on the M1 every day – accounting for one in seven of all motorway journeys – and the vast majority are safe and legal drivers. But there is a minority that continues to put themselves and others at risk. It is disappointing that almost 700 offences were spotted in just one week – but thanks to Operation Freeway those drivers were prevented from continuing with their unsafe behaviours.”
With millions of miles logged daily, this undercover patrol is proving to be a vital tool in cracking down on dangerous driving on one of the UK’s busiest roads.
Originally published by UKNIP.
