Op Tramline: Police HGV patrol spots dangerous driving in North Wales
A delivery driver was caught with his foot on the dashboard while on a FaceTime call during a North Wales Police road safety operation earlier this month.
The driver was one of 57 motorists identified for offences during the latest Op Tramline patrol, carried out by officers from the Roads Crime Unit during the first week of December.
The national operation, supported by National Highways, uses an unmarked HGV to give officers a higher vantage point to observe drivers on major routes.
The elevated cab allows police to see into vehicles and record offences on camera before intercepting them.
Sergeant Danny Rees of the Roads Crime Unit said: “Over 50 offences were identified by officers, including drivers using their mobile phones, insecure loads and seatbelt offences.
“Unbelievably a delivery driver in a box van was returning home and was reported to be ‘distracted’ whilst on Rhuallt Hill. When officers got alongside him, they saw he had his right foot up on the dashboard (clearly in cruise control) with his mobile phone in one hand engaged in a facetime call with someone, all whilst not wearing his seatbelt. This behaviour is reckless and wholly unacceptable.
“Without the use of the HGV cab we would not have been able to see into his van, which demonstrates the benefits of having the HGV for our use.
“We also arrested a man who was driving a commercial vehicle on suspicion of drug driving after he was stopped on the A483 – initially due to not wearing a seatbelt. He tested positive for cannabis at the roadside and was arrested and later released under investigation pending the results of further tests.
“Road safety continues to be a priority for North Wales Police, and the number of offences detected during this operation highlights the importance of this type of proactive road safety initiative.
“Using a mobile phone and failing to wear a seatbelt are just two of the ‘Fatal 5’ – the five most common causes of death and serious injuries on our roads, yet these were the most common offences detected during this operation. Choosing to commit a fatal five offence means the driver is not only putting themselves at risk, but also other innocent road users.
“Op Tramline is just one of the many education and enforcement tactics we use to make our roads safer. Road safety is a shared responsibility, so we will continue to work with our partners to educate motorists and try and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.
“Once again, we’d like to thank National Highways for their cooperation and assistance with the loan of this vehicle. We will continue to run this operation to detect and deter those who choose to drive in this manner. Please heed the warning.”
The 57 offences identified included:
31 drivers not wearing seat belts
17 using mobile phones while driving
2 speeding offences
2 insecure loads
2 number plate offences
2 cases of careless driving
1 arrest for driving under the influence of drugs
Op Tramline was last conducted in North Wales in August, when almost 90 offences were identified, including mobile phone use, failure to wear seat belts and insecure loads, which led to further offences such as no insurance and defective tyres.
Check live fuel prices near you before you set off.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email news (@) deeside.com
NEW: Add Deeside.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Latest News
