Nearly 700 Motoring Offences Busted on the M1 in Unmarked HGV Sting
Operation Tramline Scores Big on Britain’s Busiest Motorway
Police patrolling the M1 in unmarked lorry cabs have caught nearly 700 offences in just one week. Across eight forces, 663 vehicles were stopped, uncovering a whopping 691 breaches of the law.
From Mobile Phones to No Insurance – The Full List of Busted Drivers
Penalties ranged from slap-on-the-wrist advice and traffic offence reports to 14 court summons and five arrests. The mobile phone was a clear favourite among offenders, alongside seatbelt dodgers and careless drivers.
In the Midlands alone – covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Northamptonshire – 309 offences were recorded. These included 108 seatbelt slackers, 62 caught texting or calling, and 27 driving without due care.
One Nottinghamshire driver was pulled over for using a phone, only for officers to find he had no licence and no insurance. Talk about a triple whammy.
The Secret Weapon: HGV Cabs That See It All
National Highways supplies unmarked HGV cabs to police as part of Operation Tramline. Sitting high up in these vehicles gives officers a clear view of reckless road users.
“Hundreds of thousands of motorists travel over 21 million miles on the M1 every day – accounting for one in seven of all motorway journeys – and the vast majority are safe and legal drivers,” said Jeremy Phillips, National Highways Head of Road Safety.
“But there is a minority that continues to put themselves and others at risk. It is disappointing that almost 700 offences were spotted in just one week – but thanks to Operation Freeway those drivers were prevented from continuing with their unsafe behaviours.”
With millions of miles logged daily, this undercover patrol is proving a vital weapon in cracking down on dangerous driving on one of the UK’s busiest roads.
