Undercover officers stop nearly 80 drivers in blitz on dangerous driving

A lorry driver was caught watching a video on his mobile phone when officers from our road crime team went undercover to target dangerous driving habits.

In partnership with National Highways, we carried out Operation Tramline; a proactive road safety operation using an unmarked HGV tractor unit to patrol the county’s motorways and strategic roads.

From an elevated position, officers were able to spot motorists’ dangerous driving habits, such as making calls on handheld mobile phones and not wearing seatbelts.

One man was even seen watching a video and scrolling through TikTok whilst behind the wheel of a HGV on the M6 Toll, near Cannock, causing him to swerve across lanes of the motorway.

He was processed for driving without due care and attention and will attend court at a date to be fixed.

As a result of the operation from 11-15 November, we issued 63 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) for issues including excess speed, driving without due care and attention, and having no insurance, dealt with 35 drivers for using mobile phones, detected 28 seatbelt offences, seized three vehicles, and stopped 78 vehicles.

Inspector Jody Cruxton, from the road crime team, said: “Op Tramline enables us to proactively identify and deal with some of the leading causes of death and serious injury collisions on our roads.

“This is just one of our many operations targeting the four biggest contributors to road casualties, or the ‘fatal four’. These are drink and drug driving, using a mobile phone at the wheel, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.

“Partnership working is key to ensuring that we continue to improve road safety for all and this operation is a great demonstration of that.

“In 2023, 45 people sadly lost their lives on roads in Staffordshire. This is why the road crime team and partners are so committed to working proactively to enforce and promote road safety.”

Deputy Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Dave Evans, co-chair of the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership alongside Commissioner Ben Adams, said: “Road Safety Week is an opportunity to remember those who are killed or injured on our roads, and campaign for everyone’s right to make safe and healthy journeys.

“Every road victim counts, and we can all make a difference. Whenever we choose to speed, use a mobile phone while driving or drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, we increase the risk of a collision.”

National Highways Assistant Regional Safety Co-ordinator, Marie Biddulph, added: “At National Highways, we believe that no-one should be harmed while travelling on our roads and are committed to making our roads as safe as they can be.

“Through Operation Tramline, and working very closely with our police partners, we want to make people think about their driving behaviour and reduce the number of incidents caused by unsafe driving.

“We know that distracted driving and not wearing seatbelts are often key factors in incidents that result in people being killed or seriously injured, research shows that you are four times more likely to be in a crash if you use your phone while driving and twice as likely to die in a crash if you don’t wear a seatbelt.

“So, we would appeal to the minority of motorists who continue to put themselves and others at risk to think again about their driving - or risk being spotted by police in one of our Tramline HGVs.”

This week is also national #RoadSafetyWeek.

Focussing on ‘After the crash’, this year’s annual campaign highlights the devastation left behind after collisions, and the loved ones of those who have died, or been seriously injured.

According to data from road safety charity, Brake, every day five people die and six children are killed or seriously injured on UK roads.

For more information, visit: https://www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week