Motorists not wearing seatbelts, using their mobile phones, and driving whilst not in proper control were just some of the offences detected by officers during Operation Tramline.
Officers from Lincolnshire Police Roads Policing Unit (RPU) detected 98 offences being committed on the A1 during the five-day operation, which ran last week from Monday, 25 November, to Friday, 29 November.
An unmarked HGV lorry, loaned to the force by National Highways, was used for Operation Tramline to help officers from the RPU patrol main roads. The road safety initiative aims to educate motorists and reduce the number of incidents caused by unsafe driver behaviour.
The elevated position of the lorry provides officers with a better vantage point to see into cars and lorry cabs and observe driver behaviour. Use of the lorry also allows them to gather video footage and deal with offences being committed on our roads.
Seventy-two cars and lorries were stopped during the enforcement week.
Twenty-nine motorists were stopped for not wearing seatbelts, 24 for using their mobile phones, and three for driving whilst not in proper control. Motorists can potentially receive a fine and/or penalty points on their driving licence depending on the offence committed.
Two men were arrested on suspicion of drink and drug driving. Fourteen were stopped for construction and use offences relating to vehicle condition, two for having an insecure load, six for breaches of driver’s hours regulations, and three for driving without due care. Three vehicles were also seized for having no insurance.
Offences were dealt with by way of Traffic Offence Reports (TORs), summons, and graduated fixed penalty notices, of which 24 were handed out.
Inspector Jason Baxter from Central Operations said:
“Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads is a priority for Lincolnshire Police. We would like nothing better than to patrol the roads on Operation Tramline and not see any offences being committed, however, sadly, that is not the case. Certain motorists are still making the decision to carry out these behaviours, putting themselves and other road users at risk.
“We will continue working with National Highways to ensure we can make the county’s roads as safe as they can be, and we will continue to target drivers who wilfully put themselves and other road users at risk by committing offences that take their focus away from driving safely.”
National Highways Assistant Regional Safety Co-ordinator Marie Biddulph said:
“Operation Tramline is a proactive way of reaching the minority of drivers who still think it’s acceptable to put their lives and others at risk by engaging in dangerous behaviours such as using mobile phones or not wearing a seatbelt.
“It’s important that people get home safely, which is why we are glad to work with our police partners to make those drivers reconsider their unsafe actions or risk being spotted by our unmarked cabs and having to face the consequences.”