Police HGV patrol spots dozens breaking law on A494 and A55
Almost 50 drivers were stopped by police in just five days as part of an targeted road safety operation on some of the region’s busiest roads.
Officers from the North Wales Police Roads Crime Unit used an unmarked heavy goods vehicle as part of Operation Tramline – a nationwide initiative supported by National Highways – to patrol the A55, A494 and the A483.
The unit is used by police forces across the country to carry out patrols across strategic road networks targeting all drivers, including HGV drivers and commercial vehicles.
The elevated position of the HGV cab allows trained officers to look directly into vehicles and spot offences in real time, which are then radioed to colleagues in marked and unmarked police cars who pull over the drivers.
48 offences were recorded on the region’s roads in a five-day period, including 20 drivers caught not wearing a seatbelt and 18 found using a mobile phone behind the wheel. Other offences included:
- Three drivers with insecure loads
- One red ight offence
- Two offences of driving without due care
- One driver not in proper control of their vehicle
- Three construction and use offences
Sergeant Danny Rees of the Roads Crime Unit said: “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. Everyone has a part to play in keeping our roads safe, 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.
“This isn’t the first time we have deployed the Op Tramline cab, and it certainly won’t be the last, so 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.”
National Highways Regional Safety Programme Manager, Marie Biddulph, added: “We are always disappointed by the number of people who are prepared to put themselves and others at risk with such dangerous driving behaviours.
“Whilst we know that this is just a minority of people on our roads, we are committed to doing all we can to make sure no one is injured while travelling or working on our roads.
“We will continue therefore to work with our police partners on Operation Tramline in an effort to remind motorists to think carefully about their driving behaviours and make our roads as safe as they possibly can be.”
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