Unmarked Highways England HGV cabs are being deployed for a week of action on the M6 to reduce the number of incidents on the motorway.
The campaign runs from today (Monday 24 May) and will aim to improve safety on the M6, the longest motorway in the country.
Highways England deals with around 180 reported incidents on the M6 every day, including traffic collisions. A total of 4,222 were reported on the M6 in 2019.
Highways England’s ‘supercabs’ have been in use under its Operation Tramline initiative since 2015. Since then, more than 21,600 offences have been recorded.
The HGVs allow police officers to film evidence of unsafe driving behaviour by travelling alongside vehicles. Drivers are then pulled over by police cars following a short distance behind.
The most common offences include not wearing a seatbelt (6,253 offences), closely followed by using a mobile phone (6,073).
Recent footage using an Operation Tramline HGV cab shows a driver caught using his mobile phone and nearly hitting the supercab.
In another clip captured by the force, a lorry driver is seen looking down and texting on his phone as he travels along the motorway. When he spots the police officers in the next lane he simply shrugs and puts his thumb up.
Meanwhile this footage shows a car driver, oblivious to the police officers in the HGV cab alongside him and with a mobile phone in his right hand – until he hears the police siren sound behind and puts the phone down.
Highways England head of road safety Jeremy Phillips said: “The number of people found using their mobile phone while driving is quite alarming. You are four times more likely to be in a crash if you use your phone and, if caught, face a £200 fine and six points on your licence.
“Through this week of action on the M6 we want to make all of our roads safer by raising awareness and encouraging motorists to consider their driving behaviour.”
