Police catch hundreds of drivers using mobile phones on single day

Police caught more than 300 drivers using their phones or not wearing seatbelts in a single day as part of an undercover operation targeting dangerous driving.

Footage recorded by Warwickshire Police showed motorists playing on their phone, watching films and texting.

The action was part of Operation Tramline, a national campaign using HGVs to catch dangerous drivers. Police said that despite the coronavirus lockdown the number of offences committed by motorists was on the rise.

In one clip, officers caught a truck driver who had failed to strap down a tractor on his lorry and was observed playing on his phone while also not wearing a seatbelt.

The driver was said to be so distracted that he failed to notice the police lorry alongside him for several minutes.

Footage showed the driver with his left hand resting on his chin while texting with his right.

Another driver of a black Range Rover was caught using WhatsApp as he drifted onto the hard shoulder of the motorway.

Police also caught a lorry driver who was watching a video while on the motorway.

The incidents were all recorded by officers patrolling the M40 and M42 in Warwickshire and the West Midlands.

Sergeant Carl Stafford said: “Whilst this has been a record breaking operation for offences detected by our officers, it has also been an extremely disappointing one, as even with a reduced amount of traffic from the current epidemic we are seeing an increase in offences.

”The increase in mobile phone usage whilst driving has been staggering despite all of the publicity and increase in penalties people are still selfishly putting themselves and others at risk by being distracted by their phones, exacerbated even more when in charge of heavy goods vehicles.

“We also found that most of the drivers stopped with no seatbelt on actually made a conscious effort to fasten it behind them, I can't comprehend the mentality of not using this non-intrusive device which is proven to save lives.”

Highways England assistant regional safety coordinator, Marie Biddulph, said: “It is frustrating to see the number of drivers who are willing to put themselves and others at risk on our roads.

”It is particularly disappointing that almost 100 drivers chose not to wear their seatbelts and 69 people were seen using a handheld mobile phone while at the wheel.“

During the first lockdown in the spring, there was a 71 per cent spike in the number of speeding drivers pulled over by police in London.

Metropolitan Police officers issued 3,282 Traffic Offence Reports (TORs) to drivers suspected of exceeding the limit during April, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information request.

That is compared with just 1,922 during April 2019.

The highest speeds recorded per zone during the lockdown in London were:

- 163mph on a 70mph road,

- 134mph on a 40mph road,

- 110mph on a 30mph road,

- 73mph on a 20mph road.

Additional reporting by agencies.

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