Police will be using unmarked HGV cabs to crack down on illegal driving on the M62, East Yorkshire drivers are being warned.
Officers launched the new campaign today by releasing footage of a van driver using both hands to hold and drink from an open cup of tea. In the footage, the unmarked cab pulls alongside the van before an officer tells the van driver: "You might want to
put your cup of tea down and concentrate on driving."
The van driver was issued a traffic offence report for not being in proper control of his vehicle. This resulted in a £100 fine and three points being added to his licence.
It was one of hundreds of incidents where drivers were caught flouting the rules of the road during "Operation Tramline" on the M6 last summer. Motorists were caught at the wheel using phones and without seatbelts on.
Now, police have launched "Operation Pennine" – a month of action dedicated to catching bad drivers along the length of the M62. East Yorkshire will be targeted along with other counties along the route.
Officers will be using unmarked HGV cabs provided by the National Highways agency, which manages the M62. The operation aims to help to reduce the number of accidents on the motorway.
Hundreds of thousands of drivers travel on the M62 every day. In 2022, there were 28,607 incidents, including 1,651 collisions. West Yorkshire Police recorded 105 people not wearing a seatbelt, 99 using a mobile phone at the wheel and 32 drivers not in
proper control of their vehicle. Officers also stopped 279 people for speeding.
Nicola Clayton, a regional safety manager for National Highways, said: "Hundreds of thousands of drivers use our roads every day and the vast majority are sensible behind the wheel. However, some drivers are putting themselves and others at risk through
using mobile phones, driving without a seatbelt or even handling a boiling hot drink at the wheel.
"We are committed to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured while travelling on our roads by 50 per cent by 2025 and we have a long-term ambition for zero harm. To achieve that, we need to tackle the unsafe driving behaviour that we
sadly still encounter.
"Through this month of action, we want to encourage motorists to think about their driving and to adopt safer behaviours. Those who continue to pose a risk should be aware that we are working with our police partners to make sure they are spotted and
prevented from causing serious harm to themselves or others."
Meanwhile, police and traffic officers will be carrying out vehicle checks and offering advice to drivers at motorway service stations. Sergeant Ryan Burt, of West Yorkshire Police’s roads policing unit, said: "By having an officer observing and
filming from inside a HGV cab, we can see what lorry drivers are doing, as well as other drivers.
"We are involved in regular activity throughout the year and repeatedly see drivers using their mobile phones or in other ways not being in proper control of their vehicle. A driver not having their full attention on the road can have devastating
repercussions, and when a heavy goods vehicle is involved, this can be even more catastrophic.
"We need everyone to think about their own behaviour, make sure they drive at an appropriate speed and make sure their vehicle is in good working order. If drivers are not maintaining their vehicles or driving in an unsafe way then we will take action to
keep both the driver and other road users safe."
The driver caught sipping tea at the wheel was spotted on the M6 in Cheshire.
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/unmarked-cabs-spotting-hull-drivers-8781557
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