A van driver tucking into fast food while driving along the M6 has been captured on film by National Highways.
The driver can be seen in the footage here driving with just his knees at one point as he uses one hand to eat a portion of fries and the other to hold a drink.
Believed by police to be on a hands-free phone call, the driver then undertakes a truck in the second lane of the M6 as he drives past Corley Services. All was caught on camera by the police driving alongside in the Operation Tramline HGV.
This is one of three pieces of footage released by National Highways highlighting some of the shocking driving spotted by police using the unmarked HGVs. It comes ahead of a multi-agency week of action which will target unsafe drivers along the length of the M6.
The second piece of footage shows a female driver travelling along the M40 while applying her make-up. Even when the officers in National Highways’ unmarked HGV cab beep the horn, she carries on applying her make-up, the car swerving as she focuses on the mirror.
Meanwhile, in a third incident, a motorist is spotted driving along the M40 with a phone in her hand, seemingly scrolling through her messages, and at one point with both hands off the wheel. The officers then spot the driver looking at her laptop next to her.
She puts the phone down as police let her know they are there – after alerting their colleagues travelling behind.
All three incidents were captured by Warwickshire Police patrolling in the unmarked HGV over just two days as part of the Operation Tramline safety campaign. A total of 63 offences were detected.
These are the latest in more than 46,150 offences which have been recorded by officers in the Operation Tramline HGV cabs since the national safety initiative was launched by National Highways in 2015. The most common offences are not wearing a seatbelt (13,562) and using a mobile phone (11,965).
From their elevated viewpoint in the unmarked HGV cabs, police officers are able to spot people driving dangerously – whatever vehicle they may be in. Consequences for drivers range from warnings to fixed penalty notices, court summons or arrest.
The HGV cabs are now being used as part of a Week of Action on the M6, taking place from Monday 3 June to Sunday 9 June, which aims to reduce the number of incidents on the motorway.
The week-long campaign takes place along the length of the M6, the longest motorway in the country, and so has been labelled Operation Vertebrae. Seven forces are taking part – 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.
National Highways deals with over 200 reported incidents on the M6 every day – 74,960 on the road in 2023 including 3,808 traffic collisions.
National Highways head of national road user safety delivery Matt Staton 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. The Week of Action aims to make all of our roads safer by raising awareness and encouraging motorists to think carefully about their driving.
“Meanwhile, thanks to our Tramline HGVs, police have been able to put a stop to incidents of driving which could have very easily resulted in serious harm on the road.”
