Drivers are being warned of increased enforcement of road rules as police forces look to crack down on motorists breaking traffic laws.
Operation Tramline involves traffic officers and police officers sitting in HGV cabs with an elevated view of the road to see into other vehicles and check if they are following road rules.
Since the Operation’s launch in 2015, the HGV camera cabs have recorded almost 50,000 offences with around 35,000 vehicles stopped by police.
This coincides with National Lorry Week, which has prompted National Highways to take to social media to encourage drivers to be safe on roads at all times.
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Operation Tramline has recorded almost 50,000 offences since its launch in 2015
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With the advantage of the higher vantage point, the police and traffic officers can look into the cabs of other HGVs and into the driver’s seat of a smaller vehicle.
Police forces around the UK have spotted people using their mobile phones while driving and even a woman trying to apply makeup while on the motorway.
In the clip, a woman can be seen using a mirror to apply makeup, resulting in the Nissan Micra swerving across the lane.
Operation Tramline sees National Highways work with over 25 police forces across the country and has been highly successful since it was first launched almost 10 years ago.
Consequences from the Operation can see drivers warned, slapped with a fixed penalty notice, a court summons or even be arrested.
In November, the cabs will be operating across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, South Wales, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Surrey and Sussex, West Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Devon and Cornwall, Northumbria, Lincolnshire and Avon and Somerset.
Enforcement will be slightly shorter in December as a result of Christmas and the New Year’s period, but the cabs will be seen in Durham, Thames Valley, Wiltshire, North Yorkshire, Northants and Essex.
Matt Staton, head of national road user safety delivery at National Highways, said: “We know that the shocking examples identified by police in our unmarked cabs are carried out by a small minority and, thankfully, that most of the drivers on our roads are part of the law-abiding majority.
“However, those who continue to take risks such as using their mobile phone at the wheel or other things that mean that their hands are off the wheel are putting themselves and others in danger.”
To help with enforcement the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) will be shadowing jobs for National Lorry Week.
In a video posted to the DVSA Moving On blog, representatives from the DVSA and RHA aimed to see how the other organisation works and make efforts to increase cooperation.
Loveday Ryder, chief executive of the DVSA, hosted at the agency’s site on the M25 near Leatherhead, while Tim Wray, Vice Chair of the RHA, hosted in Felixstowe.
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One driver was caught using two phones when at the wheel of his HGV
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Ryder showed Wray, who is also managing director of Multi Modal Logistics, how the DVSA targets serial offenders to help keep Britain’s roads safe.
In the return visit to Felixstowe, Ryder saw the pressure of the port and how the RHA manages everyday operations.
