Police in Cleveland said they observed numerous examples of poor driver behaviour after it used an unmarked HGV for four days to spot offences committed in the cabs of other lorries.

Over the course of the operation, from Tuesday 24 to Friday 27 October, police discovered three offences of driving whilst using a mobile phone, six people not wearing seatbelts, two without MOT or insurance, three vehicles with insecure loads and two overweight vehicles.

Officers relied on a lorry cab loaned out by National Highways for an elevated position to see the offences being committed.

Nicola Bowman, road safety and highways liaison officer from Cleveland Police, said: “Working with National Highways to bring Operation Tramline to Cleveland is something that we will continue to do as part of our commitment to road safety and reducing serious and fatal road traffic collisions.

“Not only do drivers put their own lives at risk when they don’t abide by the law, they also risk the lives of other road users. Lorries potentially weighing tonnes can be extremely dangerous and could cause absolute devastation should they be involved in a collision.”

An engagement event was also held at Teesside Retail Park, where members of the public were spoken to about the National Highways ‘Know the Zones’ campaign, highlighting blind spots around large vehicles.

Nicola Clayton, National Highways’ regional safety programme manager, added: “Safety is our number one priority and, through Operation Tramline, we hope to raise awareness and encourage drivers to think about their behaviour and habits at the wheel.

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